


The Heart of the Forest

by sproutbabie



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun, Fantasy AU, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Temporary Amnesia, based off Eternally MV, nothing really makes sense but you get the idea, yeonjun is basically a disney princess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:54:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 39,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sproutbabie/pseuds/sproutbabie
Summary: Once upon a time,There was a king who ruled over the forest.Where trees soared to the heavens and the flowers never withered.Where the animals danced in harmony and the waters glittered.Then one night, the king slipped into a slumber,One that devastated his beloved home.The trees twisted into wild beasts and the flowers never saw the sun.The animals fell silent and the waters turned to poison.And with ragged breaths, the forests still yearns,For their king's return.
Relationships: Choi Yeonjun/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 41
Kudos: 165





	1. Into the Forest

_Never go into the forest._

It was a general rule amongst the village people. Stories of trees that swallowed lost travelers and the waters that were deadly to the touch were ingrained into the children's minds ever since they could speak.

Taehyun had the story of the girl who went to pick flowers and never returned memorized word for word. He found it stupid, how could someone be so keen on finding the most beautiful flower to enter the forest? "It was for her sick mother!" Kai would always exclaim. "She could have asked for anything else." Taehyun would retort back.

In all the years he spent living in their village, Taehyun had never even thought about entering the forest. He wasn't scared per se, he just doesn't think it would be advisable given the fact that people never return from entering the forest. Ever.

"Taehyun!" He looked up from his phone to see Kai running towards him, carrying his usual cloth bag full of blankets and pillows, bundled up in his winter coat. Winter was just about to end, the snow slowly melting away into little puddles. The two childhood friends deemed it warm enough to go back to their favourite night time activity; star gazing.

"Ah… Mr. Huening, late again. Tsk tsk, what to do with this boy." Taehyun joked, wagging his finger just like their old middle school teacher used to. Kai rolled his eyes as he lays out the picnic mat onto the grass. "C'mon Hyun, I stopped being late to school ever since junior year." The shorter boy let out a laugh as the two sat down and laid out their snacks; some crisps, berries, chocolate covered biscuits, and of course they couldn't forget grape juice.

As Kai emptied out his bag, Taehyun catches sight of a familiar plushie he hadn't seen in a while. "You brought Sweet Potato again." "Hm? Oh yeah! How could I not?" Kai says, holding the bunny plushie close as he laid down. Sweet Potato was as old as himself, and it wasn't the cutest plushie he owned, but it was dear to him. Especially after his father disappeared into the forest…

"The stars are really bright tonight!" The taller exclaims. Taehyun looked up. The sun had fully set and the stars were sprinkled across the canvas of the night sky, shining like the lights in the bustling city he often dreamt of.

The city.

He had followed Beomgyu there a couple times, and was instantly fascinated by the vibrant and energetic environment of it all. The promise of furthering his dream as a photographer had the boy applying to all the universities that offered a photography course. Just waiting for his university offers made him restless, imagining the endless possibilities waiting for him there.

"Oh, what happened to your university applications? Have they replied to you yet?" Kai asked, turning to face the other. "No… not yet…" Taehyun sighed. Most kids around him had already gotten their offers by now, all thrilled to leave their tiny village. Even Kai had received his offers, although he was planning to defer his entry to help with his family business for a while.

"Maybe the universe is telling me not to go, to just stay here in our small community and farm or what not." Taehyun said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The taller suddenly sat up. "Don't say that about yourself! You ARE going to get into your dream university and you ARE going to live in the city. Hasn't that been your dream for years now?" Taehyun fell silent.

Kai kept going, a pout fully formed on his lips. "And I promised to come see you every break, and we would travel farther out from the city. You remember right?" He did. They had promised to never lose contact with each other and travel out of town whenever they had the chance. Even if Taehyun made new friends at university, he would never forget his childhood friend, his soulmate. The years they spent together, supporting and caring for each other, could not be easily erased by a few kilometres.

"Hm… I guess we'll have to wait and see." Taehyun concluded. Kai's pout relaxed into a smile. "See, that's better." He lies down again and they gazed at the stars in a comforting silence, the breeze gently carding through their hair.

___

The two were heading home a little earlier than usual; It had gotten a bit too cold for them to stay any longer, their fingers and toes starting to go numb. "I thought it wasn’t going to be that cold tonight." Kai whined as they speed walked down the hill to the street. The village was always quiet at night, only the soft sounds of the leaves rustling filling up the soundscape.

As they hastily paced down the street, something behind them rustled. Taehyun first brushed it off, thinking it was just the wind. But as they turned the corner, he spots a fox in the middle of the road. And Sweet Potato.

In its mouth.

"Kai wait-" Taehyun grabbed his arm and pulled the other way. The taller turned to see where Taehyun was leading him, and panicked. "Sweet Potato!" "Shh, we don't want to scare it away." The two tried to approach the fox as slowly as possible, even crouching down a little so it wouldn't be scared. Living in the countryside had some benefits in knowing how to deal with animals.

"Should we give it some of the berries we have left over?" Kai suggested. Taehyun quickly rummaged through his bag for the box of berries, opened it up, and set it down on the floor. "Okay, now step away." The two took three big steps back, hoping the fox would be comfortable enough to come closer.

The fox cautiously stepped forward, still keeping its sight on the two boys. Sniffing around the box, it drops the slobber covered plushie and dives in, almost inhaling the berries. "Okay, I'll try to grab Sweet Potato now." Kai nods as Taehyun slowly made his way towards the animal, trying not to step too loud. The fox paid no attention to the boy, obviously too starved to care.

Taehyun stopped when he was a whole meter away, just in case his proximity to the fox would startle it. He sets one knee on the ground and stretches his arm out, his fingertips just brushing against Sweet Potato's ears. Just as his fingers managed to hold onto one ear, the fox jolts up and snatches the plushie away, taking off down the street.

"Wait!"

Quickly picking up the box, the two chased after the animal. It ran as if it had caught its biggest meal for the night. It was strange, why was the fox so hell bent on a fake bunny toy? Taehyun just hoped it wouldn't rip; he wouldn't know what to do if Kai broke down.

Kai was starting to lag behind, his breath dragged as he tried to match Taehyun's speed. He was never a sprinter, always doing better at long distance running. "G-give me - your bag. G-go - catch up to - it." He managed to let out. Taehyun let his bag slip from his shoulders and sped toward, now feeling lighter without the extra weight. But it wasn't enough. The fox kept going, zig zagging through the streets before zipping around the corner. As he turned the corner himself, he realized where it was going. He stopped abruptly where the path ended, almost tripping in the process.

Up ahead, past the large grass field, was the forest. The twisted trees loomed over him like an evil fortress from a fairy tale, tangled up around each other and reaching out to him with its tendril-like branches. He watched the fox disappear into the forest, its fluffy tail the last thing he sees.

Taehyun panics.

He didn't want to go in, heck, _he_ was the one who always talked his classmates down into going into it as a joke. But at the same time, he knew how important Sweet Potato was to Kai. To lose the one thing that reminded Kai of his father in the place where he lost him would... devastate him. He couldn't send the other in there; he was absolutely terrified of the place. Taehyun's mind started to swirl, his two options fighting each other in a battle of which could convince him more. His head started to feel heavy as he weighed his two options.

A hand came down onto his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Kai, leaning on his shoulder as he tried to catch his breath. "W-where did it go?" Taehyun froze, his already numb fingers turning into pure ice. He didn't want to say, didn't want his soulmate to panic again. "Taehyun? Hyun, where did it go?" Kai asks again looking up into his eyes. And it was a mistake to look back at him. He looked desperate, eyes about to water and his lips trembling.

Taehyun took a few deep breaths, inhaling the thick forest smell to calm his nerves, melt the ice from his frozen limbs. "It... it went into the forest." This time, Kai froze up. "What? No... no no no no-" The boy's whole body shook as his eyes became unfocused. "No no no- "

"Kai, listen to me." Taehyun grabs his friend's shoulders tight and straightens him up. "Kai, listen to me okay? I'll quickly go in and get it back for you, alright? Don't worry." The taller's eyes refocused back to his friend's. "What? N-no Taehyun, the forest- you can't-"

"Shhh it's okay, I'll be back soon alright? Why don't you head home, I'll be back by tomorrow." He reassured, running his hands through Kai's curls. He honestly didn't know if he was reassuring Kai or himself. Probably both.

"No no Taehyun please it's not worth your life please please-" Tears started leaking out of Kai's eyes as he begged his soulmate not to go. He desperately held onto the shorter's wrists with his trembling hands, sending vibrations up Taehyun's arm. "Taehyun please, please I need you here. I can't lose you I can't-" It hurt to see Kai like this; he swore to himself to make sure his childhood friend would never have to go through another loss, but here they were. Taehyun carefully slipped Kai's hand off his wrists and held them in his, trying his best to put on a comforting smile. "I'll be right back okay?"

"Taehyun-" He quickly let go and dashed across the field and through the invisible boundary he never thought he would cross.

Taehyun hoped those wouldn't be his last words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Hoped you liked that first chapter!
> 
> This is my first time writing after a while, so please send me any suggestions!
> 
> You can also find me on twt: @sproutjjunie


	2. The First Encounter

The forest was just as he had heard from the stories.

The trees groaned, contorting as it reached out to Taehyun; the roots seemed to slither beneath his feet. The quiet whispers in the air made it hard to believe it was just the wind. Only slivers of the moonlight guided him through the dense forest, the thick fog making it hard for him to breathe. The chilling winds cut through his skin like a sharp blade made of ice.

One by one, the old tales he had heard as a child started creeping up. The story of the woodcutter who was engulfed by the trees. The thirsty traveler that mistook the rich purple of the waters as divine and suffered the consequences. The group of students that entered as a dare; it was said their screams of agony could still be heard.

The disappearance of the girl who went to look for the most beautiful flower for her sick mother.

Taehyun's mind started flooding with memories of everything he had left behind; helping in his grandmother's field every autumn, exchanging presents with the village children in the winter, running around the village with flowers to prepare for the spring festival, and traveling to the city with Beomgyu during the summer.

Still, he trudged through the thick wall of regret, deeper into the forest. Taehyun didn't want to become another folktale for the village elders to teach the children, he was going to be the first person to come out of the cursed place alive and well. He hoped.

Yet, he knew deep down it was useless. He had lost the fox ages ago, not a sign of animal life in sight.

He was alone.

Lost in the cursed labyrinth of trees.

His footsteps came to a slow halt. It was getting harder to breathe as he went deeper into the forest, the fog becoming thicker. Thoughts of turning back started surfacing from the sea of doubts. _Maybe he should turn back. If he walked the way he came back, he should be able to make it to where he entered._ It felt right to him. He could go back and apologize to Kai, tell him he lost the fox. If he managed to make it back.

Just as he stepped back to turn, he hears a small yip ahead.

The fox.

Taehyun slowly stepped towards the sound, the yips becoming louder with every few steps. As the sound became more frequent, so did his footsteps, walking faster, and faster, until he was sprinting.

It was the only thing he could hold onto amidst the deafening silence.

As Taehyun ran towards the sound, the fog began to thin out. Up ahead, a bright light pierced through the darkness of the forest.

Leaping through the last gateway of trees, Taehyun found himself in a large field. The moonlight shone brightly and unobstructed, giving him a chance to finally take in his surroundings. Flowers blossomed amongst the grass, its vibrant colours contrasting the bleak palette of the forest. The trees stood at attention unlike its normal crooked stance; surrounding the field as to cage something within.

At the centre stood a large, old tree, surrounded by a large body of the famous purple waters, though strangely, the purple of the water was more pastel than the rich purple he had heard from stories. Its numerous branches stretched out in all directions, almost covering the moon in the process. The branches were barren, with only a few leaves struggling to hold on against the light winds. Its thick roots plunged into the water, creating an island on its own, puddles formed here and there. From the pond, the waters went in all directions through thin streams into the forest. 

He stood there in awe. He never expected there to be such a beautiful landscape within the so called cursed forest. He was itching to capture it on his digital camera, but he made do with just his phone. The lively colours reminded him of the spring festival, which was next week. Taehyun made his way towards the tree, trying his best to capture his surroundings. He wondered if the little girl ever came this far for her flowers before disappearing.

Up ahead, he hears the fox yipping again. It was jumping around on the other side of the tree, almost as if to gain the attention of something.

Stepping over the stream and walking towards the fox, he could make out a pair of legs, then a torso, and finally a full body. Slumped in front of the tree was a man, covered in vines and flowers. He donned a head piece made of the same vines and decorated in purple flowers, almost as if to imitate a crown. He wore all white, matching his deathly pale skin. His feet were soaked in a puddle created by an opening in the roots, getting the ends of his pants drenched as well. The moonlight made him look ethereal, almost other-worldly, his blonde hair glowing like a halo.

And on his lap, sat Sweet Potato.

The fox jumped around the man, like a dog trying to get attention from its owner. It yipped as loud as it could, nuzzling into the man's slack hand and even standing up to lick his cheek. As much as the fox cried, the man wouldn't even flinch.

As Taehyun leaped over the water and onto the island, the impact of his landing startled the fox, turning to growl at Taehyun. He gently approached the man again, careful not to slip into the puddles . Once he got close enough he just stared. He didn't know what came over him, maybe it was his curiosity of the man's identity, he reached out to lightly shake the man, causing the fox to bark at him. He quickly snatches his hand away, lifting them up in the air. The fox snarled, leaping in front of the man as to protect him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I just want the plushie anyways." Taehyun said, somehow thinking the fox would understand. He tried to reach for the doll, this time successfully grabbing it before the fox could notice. He was ready to run for it, scared the fox would become angry again. Yet, the fox seemed to have given up. It instead curled up on the spot Sweet Potato was, looking up sadly at Taehyun.

"I'm so sorry, but this isn't yours okay? Need to get it back to my friend. He'll be sad without it." Taehyun apologized as he rubbed one of Sweet Potato's ears, smiling at the thought of Kai's reunion with the doll. He looked back at the mysterious man one last time, before turning back the way he came from.

Strangely, on his way back, the trees were different. Instead of twisting in all directions, the trees stood upright, creating a clear path for him to walk through. The fog wasn't as thick as before and to his surprise, the way back was much shorter than the way he took to come in. He was out of the forest in no time, standing at the same entrance he left Kai at.

He couldn't believe it.

Taehyun had made it out alive.

Excited by the mere fact that he had made it out, he dashed towards his friend's house, thoughts of the mysterious man and his fox subsiding for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twt: @sproutjjunie


	3. Spring

The Spring Festival.

A day where the village people celebrated the end of the cold winter and the start of spring.

It was tradition for the children to decorate the village with a colorful array of flowers; the younger children were given flowers to decorate the festival stalls while the older ones were tasked with weaving crowns or wreaths. Although Taehyun's birthday had passed and he was technically an adult now, he still joined Kai to deliver wreaths to every door step. He had enough time to help out before he was needed at the plaza to take photos.

"Do you think they'll have egg tarts again this year? I heard auntie Youngja wasn't feeling so well…" Kai pouts, wanting to taste the elder's amazing egg tarts again. "I don't know." Taehyun replied, devoid of any real interest. His mind wandered as he rubbed one of the petals on the wreath between his fingers.

It had been a week since he recklessly followed the fox into the forest. A week since Kai burst into tears seeing a very much alive Taehyun.

A week since he saw the mysterious man.

The striking image of the man covered in flowers was ingrained in Taehyun's mind. _Just who was he? Was he dead? How did he get there?_ These questions plagued his mind, distracting him from everything else.

"Hyun? Taehyun? Are you thinking about the forest again?" Taehyun lets go of the poor petal, his train of thoughts coming to an abrupt halt. "Uh… maybe?" He replied sheepishly. Kai sighs. "Hyun, I know what you saw was probably the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, but please, don't try to go in again." Taehyun just nods in response.

He had told his friend about everything he saw, from the foggy, dense woods to the field of flowers. However, for some reason, Taehyun didn't tell him about the man. He had never kept secrets from his soulmate unless it was a surprise. He didn't know what came over him, but something about the man made him want to cherish his haunting beauty for himself. He was at least glad that Kai promised not to tell anyone; it would cause quite a fuss.

"Taehyun look!" He looked up to his taller friend, who had tucked a winter jasmine behind his ear. "One of the children must have dropped it. How do I look?" Taehyun just chuckled, lifting his digital camera to look through the viewfinder. "I can't tell which is the flower." Kai bursted out laughing, loud enough to drown out the clicks of Taehyun’s digital camera.

The chimes in the distance signalled the start of the festival; the beginning of the spring.

* * *

The silence that fell over the village was quite jarring, compared to the lively and cheerful atmosphere of the festival that had just ended. Taehyun left his window wide open, letting the wind from the mountains roll in to tickle his hair. He sat at his desk, sifting through the photos he had taken throughout the day in the pleasant silence. 

The endless rows of food and beverages to last the entire day, the children’s laughter when being chased by the “Spirit of the Winter” (read: Beomgyu in a costume), the edgy middle schoolers huddled on their own picnic mat, and the crowning of new adults, celebrating a new chapter of their journey. 

Taehyun stopped a video of him, Kai, and Beomgyu. Him and Kai wore their daffodil laced flower crowns while the elder photobombed in the background, in his fluffy white costume. He ran and jumped behind the two, causing Kai to jump and Taehyun to side step him entirely. After some squabbling about how Beomgyu sucked at being sneaky, they had taken a photo like that. He smiled.

Some things would never change.

Taehyun looked over at the flower crown he had left on his bookshelf. Some petals had already fallen off during the day. But that wasn’t what bothered him.

What bothered him was how his mind kept drifting back to the man in the forest. It didn’t help that the entire village was covered in flowers.

Sighing, he closed his laptop and got out of his seat to go to bed when he heard something.

A rustle from the bushes, and then, a quiet whimper.

He walked over to the adjacent wall and looked out the window.

There was nothing, just the mountains and the silent streets. It could have been a stray dog; he knew there were a lot of those up in the mountains. The bushes across the street from his house did another shake, before finally, he sees a fluffy red body leap out into the street..

The fox.

Its ears twitched as it scanned its surroundings, before pacing down the street and disappearing into the night.

Taehyun’s body may have been frozen, but his mind was racing. He knew it was reckless. He was lucky last time, who knew what would happen this time around. He was thankful that his parents were early sleepers, they would have completely freaked out if they knew he had gone into the forest; anyone would. But at the same time, Taehyun knew he wanted to see the fields again, wanted to take photos with his camera and see the man one more time to clear his thoughts.

Running his hand through his hair in frustration, Taehyun made up his mind. He grabs his red hoodie, phone and slings his camera over his shoulder before leaving his room. He carefully tiptoed down the stairs, threw on his sneakers, before running the way the fox had gone.

He lived on the opposite side of the forest, making his run quite long. He made sure to take the shortcut that didn’t require him to pass by Kai’s house; his soulmate would get mad if he found out. Passing the plaza and turning a few more corners, he was back at the entrance he came out of last week. Clutching tightly on the strap of his camera, he takes a deep breath before stepping into the forest.

For the first few meters, the forest was the same as he had remembered; crooked trees, eerie whispers and the thick fog. However as he trudged deeper into the forest, the trees started to straighten their trunks, the whispers and fog faded, and if what he was seeing was true, a few flowers had already bloomed. He remembered it was like this last time, the way the forest seemed to change scenery.

He really hoped he wasn't going mad.

Eventually, he was back at the fields again, the scenery even more beautiful a second time around. And this time, he could capture it properly in his camera.

Whilst scanning the field through his viewfinder, he noticed changes to the scenery. Even more flowers had bloomed, some of which weren't supposed to bloom until a little later in the season. The water was clearer now, an even brighter pastel from the last time he was here.

And the tree.

Last week, it seemed as if it was about breathe its last breath, struggling to hold onto its leaves. Yet as Taehyun followed its trunk up to its branches through his camera, fresh new leaves littered the branches, though with some patchy spots here and there.

Oh god maybe he really was going mad.

Brushing the thought aside, he turned and walked towards the root of his distraction the past week.

The man sat where Taehyun had left him, leaning against the trunk. Strangely, the fox wasn't here. Taehyun brought the camera up to his eye before stopping himself.

_Was it okay to take a photo of a corpse?_

He was itching for a photo; he couldn't just let this image go. While he stood there, considering the ethics of photographing a corpse, the fox dashed out of the forest and right onto the man's lap, scurrying around in excitement.

_Why was the fox excited all of a sudden?_

The question goes flying out Taehyun's mind when he catches the man's fingers twitch. The flowers surrounding the man started to bloom one after the other, as if timed just for this moment. The fox yipped in joy, prancing around the man. One hand came up to rub his eyes while the other stretched above his head.

Wiping away the last hints of sleep, he opened his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope this chapter wasn't... bland :p
> 
> You can find me on twt @sproutjjunie
> 
> Any feedback is welcome!


	4. The Awoken Spirit

Taehyun watches as the man opens his hazel eyes.

The fox barks in excitement, scurrying onto his lap. The man laughs weakly as he runs his hand through the fox’s fur, scratching its chin as well. “Hello there old friend! How have you been?” The fox laughs at the attention, lying down belly up as the man tickles it.

Taehyun was frozen in place, still processing the image in front of him. The corpse… no, _man_ … was awake. 

A man. Was _sleeping_. In the forest.

_Who was he? Why was he sleeping in the forest of all places? How long had he been asleep?_ His mind looped in circles as one question led to the next. Lost in his never ending questions, he didn’t realise the man had turned his attention to him.

“Oh, it seems you’ve also brought a friend along! Hello there.”

Being pulled out of his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the man. His hazel eyes peered at him curiously, his hands still running through the fox’s fur. The man had not moved from his spot, only seeming to have fixed his posture to be able to give the fox more space to snuggle. Even more flowers had bloomed around him and the vines came to life, intertwining with each other, creating an illusion of a throne.

Taehyun’s mind went blank. “Uh...um hi.” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Has my friend here been causing you trouble? I’m so sorry if she has, she’s a little mischievous one.” The man said, smiling fondly at the fox now curled up on his lap. “I guess? But it’s fine aha…” Taehyun fidgeted with his fingers.

_Oh god this was awkward._

"What brings you out here so late in the night?" The man asked, his attention fully on the photographer.

"I- um… came to take photos." He held up his camera. The man tilted his head in confusion. "Pho...tos?" Taehyun blinked. Perhaps… the man was still a little groggy from his sleep. “Yeah, you know, that thing that keeps still images.” He cringed at his answer, hoping to erase it from his memory before it could come back to haunt him 10 years later. 

What a great way to explain a photo.

“I don’t... quite understand. Is this… oh what was that word...” The blonde mumbled, visibly racking his brain for the lost word. “Oh yes! I think it was… tech...nology? Is this some new tech-nology that has developed during my rest?” The man looked at the photographer expectantly, his eyes gleamed in excitement.

Taehyun raised an eyebrow. “Um… you could say that. How long have you been sleeping for?” He was starting to get the feeling that the blonde was… a product of the forest. It would make sense; sleeping carefree with his feet drenched in the poisoned waters, being friends with a fox, and not knowing what a photo was. 

“Hm… I’m not quite sure actually… it _has_ been very long…” The man trailed off, his eyes wandering off into the distance, an air of melancholy settling around him. The flowers around the man leaned into him, their once wide open petals huddled together; almost as if to reach out and comfort him. Taehyun fiddled with his camera strap; the rustle of the leaves could not fill in the awkward silence that fell between them. Honestly though, how was he supposed to answer that?

_Change the topic, change the topic._

“Um…would you like to see how photos work?” He screamed internally. Way to cheer someone up.

Contrary to Taehyun’s thoughts, the man perked up, startling the resting fox in the process. “You could do that? Right now?” The blonde’s eyes sparkled. The flowers followed his excitement, blooming again like fireworks around him. “Sure, I just have to use this.” Taehyun lifts his camera once more. “Then, can I first take a photo of you? It’ll be easier to understand that way.” The man gently nods.

Taehyun first stepped back, trying to fit the entire tree into the frame, which was impossible from where he was standing. Next, he took a simple portrait shot of the man. Finally, he zoomed in to capture just from the blonde’s torso up, including the flowers to decorate the empty space around him. During the entire shoot, the man watched him attentively; his curious expression reminded Taehyun of a kitten.

When he was finished, he sat down next to the man, careful not to sit on any flowers. Switching to the gallery, Taehyun beckoned the man to look. “Here, take a look.” The blonde stared in awe, reaching out to touch the screen. “This… this is me!” He exclaimed. The fox sat up and leaned on the man’s outstretched arm, taking a look for herself. 

As he flipped to the next photo, the man leaned forward, almost at the edge of where the opening ended. “Would you like to hold it?” Taehyun asked, offering the camera to the man. He looked up, then back to the camera, before looking up once more. “Are… are you sure?” Taehyun nodded. The blonde’s uncertain fingers slowly come up to place themselves where the photographer had them place. With a little more strength, he carefully lifted it off the other’s hands and brought it close to his face. 

“May I look through your other… pho-tos?” He asked, trying out the new word he had learnt. Taehyun motioned for him to go ahead, clicking the left button to the last photo he had taken for the festival. “Go ahead.” More flowers bloomed along his crown as he happily clicked through the rest of Taehyun’s photos.

Taking a proper look at the man up close, every little detail made him even more captivating. The way his hazel eye’s sparkled reminded him of the stars he had seen on the night of his first visit. His deathly pale skin glowed under the moonlight, shining like the moon itself.

“Your hair… it’s different here!” The blonde turned the camera to face Taehyun. It was a photo of him in a salon chair that Beomgyu took, just before he had gotten his hair dyed to red. “I was actually very curious about your hair. I’ve never seen hair as red as yours!” The man looks down to the photo before looking up to him again, comparing the two. “Oh this? This was in the city during the winter. I got it dyed to my current colour.” He pulled on his bangs to see the colour for himself. 

“The city? Is that where all these photos are from?” The man asked, clicking through the photos again. “Yup! Have you ever… been there?” Taehyun was genuinely curious; the blonde knew the word technology and knows of the city… he must have been there right?

“I… don’t quite remember… though I believe I have… before my rest.” There it was again, that sense of melancholy. The man’s smile grew smaller and eyes weren’t fully focused on the photos, the memory of his mysterious past distracting him. 

And Taehyun was curious. His past questions started popping up again: How long is a long time ago? How does he know ‘technology’ but not a ‘photo’? Why was he sleeping here?

“Who exactly are you?”

He quickly brought his hands over his mouth. He didn’t mean to blurt it out, especially not in such a rude manner. “I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to be so rude-” The blonde just smiled back, “That’s alright, I’ve gotten that a lot.” A horrible heaviness crept up and settled in Taehyun’s chest. He was way too nice for his own good.

“I am Yeonjun, and I am something similar to the spirit of this forest. Guardian, if you had asked my old friend.” The man chuckles at the thought.

A spirit.

“A spirit as in… you can do magic and stuff?” Taehyun wanted to scream in embarrassment. He had seen the man- Yeonjun- covered in flowers that moved according to his emotions, his feet drenched in the so-called poisoned water, and had seen for himself just how much the scenery of the forest had changed within a mere week. The answer was obvious.

Yeonjun giggled. “I can’t do anything grand right now, but perhaps this will convince you.” The spirit lightly tapped one of the many vines that created his makeshift throne. From the area he tapped, a small bud emerged, grew larger, before blooming into a yellow rose.

Taehyun didn’t know what to expect, but watching a flower bloom in a matter of seconds was definitely something only magic could explain away. He gently ran his fingers along the petals; they were real, the velvety texture was exactly the same. 

Just then he felt a jarring buzz in his pocket, breaking the moment. Pulling out his phone (which also piqued Yeonjun’s interest), he checks his notifications.

**_Beomgyu_ ** _12:33 AM_

_Do the characters in the movie Cars get life insurance or car insurance?_

Taehyun sighs at the message. Just Beomgyu and his late night thoughts again. The elder would randomly text him whenever he thought of something and then spammed his chat with his take on the bizarre question he poses.

However, he did figure he should start heading home. The photographer didn’t actually plan to stay out this long. “Maybe you should head home, it is late after all.” As if he had read his mind, Yeonjun returns the camera back to Taehyun. “Um yeah I think I’ll go… It was nice talking to you.” He mentally kicked himself as he stood up and brushed off the back of his pants. 

“Wait.”

The spirit grabbed his wrist. His grip was weak; just one light touch could probably break it.

“May I know your name? It would be rude to not know a new friend’s name.” Oh. He had forgotten to introduce himself.

“Uh… I’m Taehyun.” The blonde finally let’s go, looking down and mumbling “Taehyun” under his breath to get a feel of it on his lips. “Taehyun. Taehyun. I like that.” The spirit beamed up at the photographer, even more flowers blooming around him. He felt a slight heat rush from the back of his neck up to his ears, turning them a slight pink. “I- um- thanks.”

“Taehyun, will you come visit me again? I would love to talk to you more.” The way Yeonjun looked up at him, his hazel eyes filled with curiosity and a slight hint of desperation, it was difficult to reject. It wasn’t like Taehyun didn’t want to come again either. “Sure, I’ll make sure to come again this week.” The blonde smiled once more.

Waving goodbye to the spirit, Taehyun turned and walked back the way he came. Just like before, the trees stood up straight and guided him through the dense forest. The path was now spotted with flowers, some blooming as he passed by.

Taehyun had made it out of the forest twice; once with a mystery and the second with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I'm sorry it took so long, I was in a slight writers block D:
> 
> I would like to just thank Megan (Ao3: HauntingYu | twt: angstyun) for inspiring Beomgyu's text :3
> 
> Any feedback is welcome!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed that chapter!
> 
> twt: @sproutjjunie


	5. Viewfinder

Sorting out projects for portfolios was a pain.

Taehyun huffed, leaning back on his chair. He picked up the letter he had gotten this morning once again, rubbing the corners until it split.

A merit scholarship from the biggest art institute in the city. For any incoming student enrolling in any university or college.

It was worth a shot, it would make going to the city much easier for him and his family. Attending his dream school in the city, away from the slow moving village, was his ultimate goal after all. He wasn’t confident in his work, but it wouldn’t stop him from trying.

Sighing, Taehyun slid down his chair, letting his arms go slack by his side.

Getting _in_ wasn’t the problem right now.

Naming projects was one of the easiest things for him to do; it only took him a minute or so to think of one. _Fireflies_ came within minutes of completing the shoot with Kai playing with sparklers. _The Journey of the Sky_ was created even before he started that project, capturing the ever changing sky.

Yet, he was stuck on what to call his newest project.

He skimmed through his photos from the forest again. The field of flowers. The large tree in the centre.

And Yeonjun, peering curiously at Taehyun.

It had been four days since he returned to the forest, where he became "friends" with the mysterious man Yeonjun. Instead of easing his curiosity, going back to the forest made it grow even larger, wrapping around his mind like vines, taking up most of his thoughts throughout the day.

He stared back at Yeonjun, encased in a frame where time had stopped completely. Closing the lid shut, he got up and left his room with his camera.

Perhaps, seeing him again would help.

* * *

The field was brimming with life, flowers blooming in all colours imaginable, the waters now starting to show hints of clarity. Butterflies sat in flowers, taking a break from flitting around. The branches of the large tree were littered with patches of leaves and little shrubs.

And there stood Yeonjun, practically glowing under the sunlight, almost too bright for Taehyun's eyes to adjust. He had both palms flat on the trunk of the Tree with his eyes closed, his forehead leaning against the surface. From his palms veins of light shone under the bark, spreading only a small distance away from its center. He seemed to be whispering to it, his lips moving ever so slightly. His crown and throne were gone, the vines now coiled around his legs up to his knees, almost as if to ground him in place.

Taehyun stood there in awe. _Right. Yeonjun was a spirit, he could do magic stuff._ He didn’t know what else to expect. He turned off his camera and just watched silently; he didn’t want to disturb whatever the spirit was doing. But, as if he sensed a visitor, the vines slowly uncurled themselves from his legs, taking cover under the roots. The spirit took a deep breath before pulling away from the Tree, the light fading away. Opening his eyes, he turned to face his guest.

“Oh! Hello again Taehyun! You came.” Yeonjun smiled as he slowly walked across the pool to where the photographer stood. “Hi. I mean, I did say I was gonna come again…” He scratched the back of his neck.

Standing up close to the spirit, Taehyun noticed how some colour had returned to his cheeks, now a light pink rather than deathly pale.

_Huh. He must have been sick._

“Oh! You brought your… um…” He rests his hands curled on his cheeks, thinking to himself with his lips in a small pout. “My camera?” Yeonjun’s eyes gleamed in excitement. “Camera! Camera, camera…” He repeated the word several times, wanting to retain the new word. Taehyun broke into a smile. It was endearing how the spirit was so eager to learn new things.

“Yeah, I actually wanted to take more photos. Could you… maybe take me around a bit?” Taehyun asked. Of course, he _could_ have gone himself, but he would much rather have someone who knew the place to take him around. It wasn’t like he fully trusted the forest either.

“Absolutely! I was actually going to go for a short stroll. Hm… where should we go though…" Yeonjun brought his finger to his chin, pondering their destination. On cue, a gentle breeze blew their way, tickling their ears, as if to whisper the answer. Receiving that answer, the spirit gestured at Taehyun to follow him as he walked towards the entrance of the thick woods. 

Following Yeonjun’s slow pace, they walked in silence. Nothing but the quiet crunch of the grass beneath his sneakers and the rustle of the leaves accompanied their journey. Though, it wasn’t as awkward as it was the last time they met. On the contrary, it was quite pleasant.

Taehyun took his time, stopping at times for a particular shot. With every click of the camera, Yeonjun would inch closer and closer. Instinctively, he leaned over Taehyun's shoulder, reviewing the photos with him. Feeling the spirit's curious gaze, Taehyun turned and held the camera towards him. “Would you like to try?”

“May I?” Yeonjun asked loudly, echoing throughout the forest. He covered his mouth in embarrassment, the tips of his ears turned a slight pink. Taehyun giggled at his response; the spirit reminded him of himself when he also first started out. Watching the photographer laugh, Yeonjun also broke out in a shy giggle under his hand, tiny flowers blooming between his bare toes.

“Of course! Here, I’ll show you.” Placing the camera in the spirit’s hands, Taehyun leaned in to show him which buttons to press. “So you see this little square above the display? This is called the viewfinder. You’ll need to look through here with one eye to take the photos.” Per his instructions, Yeonjun shakily brings the viewfinder to his eye. “Like this?”

“Yeah, that’s good! Next-” Taehyun guides Yeonjun’s finger to the shutter button. “- you feel this button? Press this when you want to take the photo.” The spirit pushed the button as he said, the loud click of the shutter being released indicating a successful attempt. 

“Great! Do you want to see your photo?” Taking the camera off his face, Yeonjun turned to Taehyun and nodded eagerly, his entire body shaking along. Crossing over the spirit’s arm, he clicks the gallery option, the photo appearing on display. 

“Wow…” Yeonjun trailed off, admiring his first ever photo. It wasn’t the best photo, capturing the path of trees ahead of them in a weird angle. The photo was shaky and tilted, most likely due to his inexperience. But the spirit held the camera close to him, fascinated by how time seemed to stop inside the mysterious machine.

“You can hold it for a while, take as many pictures as you want.” Taehyun offered. Looking up to turn to him, Yeonjun opened his mouth, before stopping and closing it again. When he opened it again, he whispered “May I?”, giggling under his breath. Taehyun laughed along. “Of course, let me show you how to focus first.”

Now carrying Taehyun’s camera, Yeonjun led the way again, leaving trails of blooming flowers every step he took, stumbling at times. Taehyun could now take in his surroundings better.

The scenery of the forest had changed yet again. The path was now a healthy green, the previously dried grass springing to life. Flowers were starting to bloom along the branches of a few trees. The sun shone brightly through the leaves, making it easier for them to navigate through the trees. The chirps of newborn baby chicks, alongside the rustle of animals scurrying around filled the soundscape.

This wasn’t the forest he had heard from the stories.

“Yeonjun?” 

“Hm?” The spirit didn’t turn around, too preoccupied with taking a close up of a butterfly resting on a flower. The butterfly doesn’t flinch even when Yeonjun crouches near it, peacefully flapping its wings as it rests. As Taehyun approached him however, the butterfly fluttered away.

“I was just wondering, the forest seems to… change a lot. The first time I came here it was dark and kind of creepy, but now its, well-” He vaguely gestured to the forest around him. “-its bright and full of life. Is this some magic stuff?”

The spirit stays still for a moment, staring at the now empty flower. Taking a deep breath, he holds onto the tree in front of him to help support him standing up. Taehyun catches his legs wobble a little as he stands, balancing himself on the tree.

How could he have forgotten, the spirit couldn't move when he had woken up a few days ago, he was probably _sick_.

“Should we take a break?”

Yeonjun shook his head. “I’ll be alright. Thank you for the offer.” He gave Taehyun a reassuring smile, although vines had already sprung out of the earth to steady the spirit’s legs. He hands the camera back to the photographer. “Thank you for letting me use it for a while.”

Before he could insist, Yeonjun started walking again. “Perhaps the forest was... a bit hostile while I was asleep. I’m terribly sorry if anything happened. It was only trying to protect itself, after all its been through…” He tailed off, his eyes downcast as he looked down to the grass. The wobble in his legs was still evident, the spirit having to hold onto a tree one after the other at times. Slinging the camera around his shoulder, Taehyun reached out to Yeonjun again, holding his arm as support. “Yeonjun-”

He stopped by a young tree, it's leaves still sparse. “It was also trying to protect me and the large tree from the fields, the ones who gave them life and nurtured them; their center.” He runs his hand through his hair. “My memories are still… quite muddled, but something unpleasant happened before my rest...” The spirit looked to him again; his bright, cheery self gone, replaced with an air of defeat.

Taking another step, his legs gave out, just barely held up by Taehyun's fast reflexes. "Gosh are you alright?" The spirit weakly nods, taking a seat and leaning his back to the tree. He lets out a deep breath. "It seems that I'm still not in the best condition today." He says sheepishly, looking up at Taehyun. 

“Should we head back after a short break? I feel you need some rest.” Taehyun suggested, taking a seat next to the spirit. The leaves of the young tree gently rattled, in seeming agreement to the visitor’s offer.

“Would that be alright? I’m so sorry.”

Fresh vines sprung up from the earth, lacing themselves through his fingers. A dim glow appeared where the vine’s came into contact with his skin.

Though Taehyun had no clue what it was doing, it was still fascinating how the vines seemed to move on their own, all to support the spirit. “Are you controlling these?” He asked, pointing at the vines. “Well, sometimes I’ll ask them for help, and other times they will act on their own.” The spirit wiggled his fingers under the tight grips of the vines. “We’re all connected after all.” He would have asked more, if it wasn’t the way Yeonjun let out another deep breath and completely relaxed.

_Questions can wait for another time._

The two sat in silence once again, letting the gentle breeze play with their hair. Taehyun’s eyes started to feel heavy, the warm light filtered through the leaves making it difficult to keep them open. Slowly, he too let himself relax, leaning back against the tree. Allowing his eyelids to fall and close his eyes, he fell asleep.

___ 

“Taehyun? Taehyun?”

He groaned, the light taps on his shoulder lulling him awake. _Just five more minutes_ he thought to himself, rubbing his eyes. However, as he opened his eyes, he realized:

He was still in the forest.

His mind snaps back into reality, his eyes refocusing onto the person in front of him.

Yeonjun was already standing up, looking much better than he had before. Nuzzling his left leg was the fox, who Taehyun assumed was the same one from before. “Did you have a nice nap?” He asked, giving him a fond smile. Taehyun scrambled up to his feet in embarrassment. Afterall, he was right.

That was the best rest he has had in months.

“Um, yeah. Sorry about that.” He said, scratching the back of his overheating neck. The spirit laughed. “That’s quite alright, you looked as if you needed one afterall.” Taehyun laughed along sheepishly. He guessed he wasn’t asleep too long, by the way the sun hadn’t moved.

“Would you like to head back now? The village should be closer from here." The spirit reached down to pet the top of the fox's head, the fox pushing her face closer to his palm. "My friend here will guide you."

"No no, I'll walk you back; I don't want you to fall again." It was strange how Taehyun was already so worried about someone who had only met twice. Something about being around the spirit gave his heart a sense of peace amidst the chaos that was preparing for the city. He felt… comforting.

"It'll be alright, another friend of mine has come to help me just in case." Yeonjun reassured, pointing to the right. Taehyun followed his direction.

Just a few meters away, a pair of antlers emerged from the dense woods. Then, the young stag stepped out, making his way to the spirit. Leaning down, it nuzzled its face into Yeonjun's palm.

_Woah._

It felt like seeing a page of a fairy tale book come to life; a spirit petting a fox and a stag.

"So there's no need to worry. I don't want to keep you here for too long." Taehyun just nodded. He still couldn't fully grasp that Yeonjun was petting two wild animals. 

"Okay then. Um…I'll see you… next time?" Taehyun wanted to come again; he knew for a fact that he would be coming here lots. Not exactly for photos though.

"Of course, please come again! Today was a lot of fun!" Yeonjun cheered, another batch of flowers blooming rapidly beneath his feet. Taehyun was glad; watching flowers bloom around the spirit whenever he felt joy was the best.

Petting the fox one last time, he ushered her towards the visitor. "Take him back safely alright?" The fox barked, leaping ahead of the path. Taehyun followed suit, waving goodbye to the spirit as he turned the corner. Yeonjun waved back, his hand now on the stag’s mane.

Following the fox, he realised he hadn’t really thought of his project. Slowly stopping in his tracks he looked around for something, anything that could light his creative spark. The fox scurried ahead, looking back from time to time to see if Taehyun was following. It was almost like the first time he entered the forest, the fox being his guide. 

His guide to meeting Yeonjun.

The center.

Latching onto the idea before it blew away with the wind, Taehyun went to work, capturing the fox’s movements. The image of what his portfolio kept growing in his mind, like paint bleed into paper.

_Perfect._

Catching up to the fox, he realised they had already arrived at the edge of the forest; where the titan-like trees met the flat plains of the field. In the distance, the village people are going about their day, carrying bags of fresh groceries home. The fresh market must have closed by now; the sun was about to set after all.

Taehyun looked back down to the fox, sat on the back of her feet as she waited for him. “Uh… thanks.” He reached out his hand to pet her, before backing out. He didn’t know if the fox liked him yet; they’ve only interacted a few times. Also, she was still a _wild_ fox afterall.

Unexpectedly, the fox leans forward and bumps her nose on his fingertips, before pushing a bit more into his palm. Gently, Taehyun slid his hand up to the top of her head, petting down her neck. He smiled; she seemed to enjoy being pet by the way her mouth opened.

"See you next time."

Petting the fox one last time, he made his way back home.

Sorting out projects for portfolios was a pain.

But now, sitting at his desk, looking through the photos from earlier in the day - many of which were Yeonjun’s - he had a name for his new project.

_The Heart of the Forest._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Hoped you liked this new chapter :3
> 
> Progress is a little slow because I'm juggling my job and online courses but I'll still try my best to get these chapters out asap!
> 
> Additionally, I made a curiouscat under the same user is anyone wants to ask any questions :D
> 
> Any feedback is welcome!
> 
> twt: @sproutjjunie


	6. Polaroid

The cloudy skies the sun frequently peeked out of, the rattle of the suitcase wheels up the dirt path, and the trio’s synchronized footsteps were all the same from when Beomgyu had first left.

Classes would resume tomorrow, putting an end to their holiday. Beomgyu had an hour bus ride before another 4 hour train ride to get back to the city, and yet the elder had to be woken up and rushed by the two to get ready. 

“Please just wake up on time, especially when it’s something as important as missing your train.” Taehyun nagged, for what he believed was the millionth time saying the same thing to the elder. Beomgyu just waved off his comment. “It’s _fine_. I have you guys to wake me up anyways.” He joked, sticking out his tongue at Taehyun’s eye roll.

“Oh? So you don’t remember the time we rushed you to the stop but then you had to get off the bus cuz you forgot your precious laptop?" Kai teased, laughing as the elder pushed him. “That was ONCE okay? _Maybe_ if you hadn’t rushed me I would’ve gotten that bus.” The two went off bickering, Kai bringing up Beomgyu's hectic history with trains as the elder tried to retort back. The elder jumped up and down, eager to win another round of their usual banter. Taehyun chuckled and chimed in; after all, teasing Beomgyu was an opportunity never to be missed.

The stop was nothing more than a simple bench and vending machine under a shelter on the side of the mountain road. Wild ivies curled up the posts, accompanying the stop all year round. Little sprouts broke through the cracks of the concrete, swaying to the wind, waving to welcome the trio as they sat down.

"You guys want something to drink?" Beomgyu asked, setting his backpack on the bench and parking his suitcase. Taking their shaking heads as a no, he walked over to the machine and scanned his options. Taking his wallet out from his pocket, a small, white card slips out as well and flutters to Taehyun's feet.

Picking it up, he turns it to reveal a photo of the three of them, in front of the train station 7 months ago. Kai leaned over his shoulder to take a look himself. “Oh my god, this is old.” Taehyun laughed. 

Beomgyu stood in the middle, clutching the straps of his backpack a little too hard, his cheery smile radiating his excitement through the polaroid. On either side of him was the two of them, before Taehyun had dyed his hair and when Kai was just a centimetre or two taller than he was. They had gone all the way to the train station with him then, wanting to see him off as close to his destination as possible.

“Oh yeah that! I still keep it in my wallet.” Beomgyu sits next to Taehyun, taking a sip of his canned coffee. Taehyun takes one last look at the polaroid before handing it to the elder. “Clearly, it wasn’t _well_ kept, slipping out like that.” Taehyun teased. 

“ _Clearly_ , it wasn’t _well kept_ , slipping _out_ like _that_.” Beomgyu repeated, in his infamous mocking tone. Soon enough, the bus station was filled with just the three friends mocking each other’s tone, repeating each other’s sentences like a group of annoying parrots. Kai breaks out into his contagious laughter first, before the other two follow suit, their voices reverberating up the mountain.

In the midst of their laughter, the bus peaked out of the corner of the mountain up ahead, making its way down to the stop. The three stood up; Beomgyu putting on his bag, checking through each pocket again making sure he didn’t forget anything. The bus arrived as Taehyun handed the suitcase to the elder, watching him unload it into the luggage hold.

“Stay safe!” Kai called out, waving to his friend. “Don’t do anything stupid.” Beomgyu stuck his tongue out to Taehyun one last time before climbing on board, the door shutting behind him. They watched the bus until the very end, from the elder getting his ticket scanned to it driving off down the hill, watching it disappear around the corner.

_A film photo, huh._

* * *

When he reached the fields, the spirit wasn’t there, his usual spot empty. Looking around, the fox wasn’t there either, only the birds chirping on top the branches of the large tree. Walking over to the Tree, he took a seat just before the pond, avoiding any patches of flowers. The ground was cool to the touch, the grass lightly tickling his legs. Though he didn’t like the idea of Yeonjun walking off again, especially after what happened last time, he couldn’t really _go_ and find him. He would just have to wait here and find something to pass the time, running his hands through the grass.

“Taehyun!”

Looking up, Yeonjun was waving at him, having come out from the forest. The grass and leaves rose to greet him, the birds fluttering around, singing a song to announce his return. The fox trotted alongside him, her feet as light as feathers. The spirit’s cheerful smile was enough to replace the sun that went in hiding today, lighting up the fields. Instinctively, Taehyun’s lips curled into a smile just from seeing the spirit, waving back.

“Hey. Where did you go?” Yeonjun plopped down next to him, the tiny flowers laced through his hair bouncing along. The fox settled down next to the spirit, placing her head on his thigh for him to pet. 

“Oh just for a short stroll. It was difficult trying to convince the Tree that I wanted to go out for a bit." Yeonjun laughed as the leaves on the tree rattle rigorously, disapproving of his recklessness.

“Are you feeling okay now? I felt really bad for pushing you then…” The guilt latched onto him for some time, worried if he had asked for too much.

“Oh no, it’s alright, I’m fine now. I was too absorbed in the camera to notice, so please don’t blame yourself.” The leaves rattled once more, passive aggressively agreeing with the spirit’s statement. Taehyun sighed in relief, lifting most of the weight off his chest.

“I actually brought something new to show you.” 

Yeonjun perked up as he attentively watched Taehyun swing his bag in front of him and open the zip. Reaching his hand in, he pulled out his old Polaroid camera. It wasn’t the best thing in the world, a simple second hand the film shopkeeper gave him as a present; one the shopkeeper himself used in his youth. It was left hidden in his drawer for months to collect dust.

“It's called an instant camera. It’s a camera where you can print the photos on the spot.” Taehyun held it out to Yeonjun for him to take a closer look at, the spirit gently feeling around the edges of the box-like camera, the smooth surface a completely different feeling from the rough rubber coating of the digital camera.

“It works the same as the other one; just look through the viewfinder here-” He flips the camera around to point out the viewfinder. “- and this square button up here to take the photo.” Pointing the camera to the resting fox, Taehyun pressed down on the button, flowers blooming in Yeonjun’s hair in rapid succession with every second they waited for the photo to eject. The flower around them in the grass leaned in, sharing the spirits' curiosity.

“Is that the photo?” He asked, now fluent in the new words he had learnt.

“Yeah, but it won’t come out instantly. Look-” Taehyun pulls out the film to show Yeonjun the white, undeveloped image. The spirit tilts his head and squints, waiting for something to appear. He looked back at the visitor, lost trying to find his own answer. Taehyun giggled as he slipped the film into the front pocket of his bag; perhaps a small magic trick for his magical friend.

“We’ll keep the photo here for a while. It won’t develop properly under the light. When we pull it out next time, the photo will appear!” Yeonjun lets out a little “woah” as he stares at the bag, like a child trying to catch a magician's tricks. 

“Here, you can try it out while we wait.” Taehyun hands the camera over to the spirit; watched as he looked around for a subject for his photo. 

Yeonjun seemed a little better now, the colour in his cheeks even brighter than last time. Although his arms and legs were still weak and thin, they had gained some muscles since the day he first woke up. His messy blonde hair shone brightly, a fuzzy glow radiating off it.

Taehyun wondered how a spirit could get _sick_ of all things. They were supposed to be magic right? What usually happens in fairy tales? Evil witches? A dark overlord? Poisoned mushrooms?

“Taehyun, Taehyun!” The spirit eagerly handed over his film, both hands clasped over the film to protect it from the light, giggling under his breath. “Quick! I don’t want to ruin the photo!” Taehyun broke into a smile as he put the photo away. He now understood why the film shopkeeper enjoyed teaching him about photography. The child-like glee that Yeonjun gave off reminded him of his first time holding the camera; the magical box he held in his tiny hands.

Taking a few more pictures, Taehyun checked up on the earlier photos. “Oh! Our first few photos are done!” Yeonjun stopped midway through taking his next shot, putting down the camera on his lap and watching Taehyun reach into the pocket. Pulling out the first photo, he lifted it up to show the spirit.

The film showed the fox, leaning her head on Yeonjun’s lap. Parts of the film were still developing, blobs of ink fading into existence. The spirit reached out to take the photo, inspecting it closer as details of the photo became clearer, tracing his finger over the fuzzy lines of the fox. The “o” of his mouth never closed, the child being blown away by the magicians’ performance. The fox sat up, trying to take a peek at the object of Yeonjun’s excitement.

“How about the other ones? Are they also done too?” The spirit excitedly gestured towards the bag, keen on seeing more. Pulling out all the photos he took, he spreads them out for Yeonjun to see. With every photo, the spirit’s fascination grows, flowers now starting to appear around them. Going through each photo, Taehyun catches one in particular. Taking a proper look, he recognized the subject of the photo. Taken torso up, with faded cherry red hair, it was him, looking off into the distance wondering how spirits got sick.

He looked back up to Yeonjun, suppressing his laughter at Taehyun’s shocked expression. “When did you take this?” Taking the photo from Taehyun, the spirit smiled down at the photo. “You were so lost in your thoughts, I was surprised you didn’t notice!” The spirit broke out into a laugh, the birds chirping along to the tune of his voice. Taehyun let out a laugh as well; Yeonjun’s laughter was enchanting, the flowers in his hair bouncing with every breath.

Calming down from his laughter, he takes another good look at the polaroid. He swipes his thumb over the smooth film, tracing along the edges of Taehyun’s shirt, up his neck, and circled around his face.

“If only I had something like this of him…” Yeonjun whispered, the flower in his hair withering at his downcast emotions. The fields suddenly went silent, the birds halting their choir, the wind turned still, the flowers leaning into the spirit once more. The fox nuzzled her snout into Yeonjun’s neck, as to comfort him. A slight sadness was evident in the spirit’s smile, now smaller than what it once was before.

Taehyun sat in silence, unsure of what to do. It was his second time hearing about the spirit’s friend, the third hearing slivers of his past. Whatever had happened, and what came of his friend, was still a mystery, one that he assumed would unravel a sad story.

“Do you… miss him?”

Yeonjun doesn’t look up, still fixated by the image of him; the idea of capturing a moment in time so easily sticking to him. His smile didn’t fade though, the memory of the past seeming to still hold slivers of happiness.

“Perhaps. I think… he was very dear to me...” The spirit ran his finger along the edges of the photo, feeling its rough surface. “I… don’t remember if I saw him one last time before I slept...” Yeonjun brought his other hand up to stroke down the fox’s back, unclear if it was to reassure her or comfort himself. 

Taehyun doesn’t ask anymore, just sitting out the silence with the spirit. He didn't know a lot about the spirit, but he wasn't going to pry. He understood Yeonjun was still recovering from a slight memory loss, events of the past taking their time returning to him.

Watching Yeonjun mindlessly feel every corner of the film, the wind light blew their way, carrying an idea and planting it in Taehyun's thoughts. The idea grew into a tiny sprout in his mind as he reached out for the camera.

"Would you like to take one with me?"

The spirit finally breaks his gaze to turn to look at the said subject of the photo. The flowers in his hair rose in interest, petals opening up one by one.

"Could you do that?"

"Of course, we just need to turn the lens to face us." 

Taehyun wasn't too keen on selfies, only taking them when forced to. Though, he figured it would be a nice gift for the longing spirit. He gestured Yeonjun to come closer, their shoulders slightly bumping into each other. Turning the camera around, he lifts it up an angle.

"Do I look into the… lens?" Yeonjun used the new term with a hint of uncertainty, a little bit of sunshine returning to his smile when Taehyun nods.

"Yeah! Also, you don’t have to be so stiff! Here-” He lifts his other hand and creates a V shape, beckoning the spirit to do the same. Yeonjun analysed his hand as he copied the gesture, awkwardly straightening his two fingers. He shakily lifts it to his shoulder level, just like Taehyun had.

“That’s good!” Taehyun shifted his finger to the button. “Remember to smile alright?”

One

Two

Three

With a light press, the camera whirred as it produced another blank film. Putting down the camera, Taehyun took out the rest of the photos they took that day and placed the fresh film under the pile. Gently taking the photo of himself from the spirit, he placed it on top of the pile, and handed it over to the blonde.

“Here, a gift for you.”

The grass shot up in the spirit’s shock. “Are you sure?” Yeonjun’s fingers hovered over the pile, hesitant about taking the photos. “I don’t think… I will be able to take care of them well…”

“That’s alright, as long as you keep it somewhere dry and generally out of the sunlight for a few days.” Taehyun pushed the pile into Yeonjun’s hands once more. He just wanted the spirit to have something to remember of their time together, an interest they shared.

Yeonjun shakily took the pile from the visitor, looking through each photo. Slipping out the first and last photo from the pile, he lifted them to show Taehyun.

“Then… may I just have these two?”

The first photo - the one of Taehyun - was almost fully developed, the details now sharper than before. The second was the recent film, still developing with only the faintest hint of their shape forming.

“Of course, they’re for you to keep.”

His smile curled wider as he looked back to the photos once more, shielding the second one with his hand. “Thank you.” The spirit whispered, looking back at Taehyun. The wind blew once more to show its gratitude as well, the rustle of the grass and leaves relaying their thanks. The melancholy of his eyes hadn’t left, but a speck of joy glimmered from the corners.

Their first recorded memory together, down on a single sheet of film. Blank, with the slightest hint ink fading into existence. Soon to be developed into a detailed and colourful image.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Hope you enjoyed that :D
> 
> I hope uh all this slow burn isn't boring or anything.
> 
> I really appreciate all the kind comments! Thank you for enjoying the story so far!
> 
> Suggestions are always welcome :3


	7. Names

It had been a while since Yeonjun last came here.

The large boulders fell into a messy pile, though mysteriously fitting into each other perfectly, as if carefully crafted that way. The moss seemed to have grown more, coating their cool surfaces. He ran his fingers along the bumps of the stone he sat on, the moss still a little wet from the drizzle this morning. The frogs were absolutely delighted, hopping around, enjoying the rain.

This place was ancient, maybe just a little younger than the Tree. Yeonjun didn't exactly remember when the boulders first formed, or even _how_ they were formed, but he knew they would never break.

“Yeonjun?”

The spirit looked up, Taehyun now stood in front of him, going through his new photos.

Amongst the ancient landscape, Yeonjun's visitor stood out. His washed out red hair popped out from the rest of the greenery. The camera he held to his eyes felt alien, having no place in such an old landscape. He was an anomaly, his aura different from that of the forest’s.

Yet, he wasn’t unwanted.

If anything, the forest seemed to take interest in the boy, whispers passing from the flowers to the birds of a mysterious visitor. Yeonjun always knew when Taehyun had entered the forest by the way the trees’ branches swayed, alerting everyone that the visitor had arrived. His fox friend had certainly warmed up to the boy, racing to the Tree to greet and follow their visitor today.

“Would it be alright if I took some photos of you as well?”

Yeonjun got up from the boulder, brushing off the moss stuck to him. “No problem, what would you like me to do?”

Taehyun pointed to the tall boulder at the very top of the pile. “If it’s possible, could you… sit over there? Don’t push yourself though.”

Complying to his request, Yeonjun made his way up the boulders. It wasn’t too difficult; the pile wasn’t that high, only getting up the tall rock was a challenge. Placing his palms flat on the curve of the boulder, he pushed off the back behind him with his feet, lifting himself off the ground. He felt the obvious tremble in his arms, sending down vibrations through his entire body. The spirit could feel the movements of the vines beneath the earth, their obvious panic coursing through as they shot out to support his feet, lifting him up till he took his seat.

Looking over at Taehyun, he let out a small laugh. The boy had already made it up two steps, arms outstretched as if to catch the spirit. His worries were written all over his face, finally letting out a sigh of relief when Yeonjun took his seat.

“I said don’t push yourself…”

The spirit answered with a sheepish grin as the boy made his way back down to the soil. The photographer went right back to work, lifting his camera and adjusting his position for the right look. 

Watching Taehyun at work was fascinating; from the way he hummed to himself when searching for the right image, to the way his lips came into a small pout and brows furrowed when he wasn’t sure of a shot . From where Yeonjun sat, the top of his light red - almost pink - hair looked like the fresh peaches that matured in the late summer just down the mountain. The sunlight softened his sharp edges until they were nice and round.

Like a fuzzy little peach.

“Yeonjun? Could you now look to the distance? Like, straight ahead. You can even look up if you want.”

The boy called out from below, waving to get the spirit’s attention as he walked backwards. Doing as he was told, Yeonjun turned to look straight ahead, into the dense forest.

With only the clicks of the camera and croaking from both frogs and toads to fill the air, his mind started to wander off with the winds, carrying him to his muddled past. The energy that seeped out of the stones into the atmosphere brought him a sense of nostalgia, of a time when he had still yet to encounter humans. 

He hadn't lost his memories of the far past, those fully ingrained into the deepest roots of the trees. Memories of when the forest was still growing like a child in their adolescence, becoming friends with the animals that migrated in, and his first encounters with humans, one of which happened here.

He giggled to himself at the memory, remembering the merchant's flabbergasted expression, eyes so wide they threatened to leave his face. He fell to his knees in front of Yeonjun, begging to save his daughter who was seriously ill. The spirit had to reassure the man, helping him to his feet. The merchant didn't know how to react as he watched Yeonjun grow the herbs he needed from his palm, handing him a small bundle to be consumed over the week. The merchant would not stop bowing in gratitude, rushing off back where he had come. Yeonjun didn't see him afterwards.

No one he had interacted with ever came back.

Except for Taehyun… and his previous friend. 

His memories of the distant past, what had happened just before his rest, how his mysterious friend looked, or even their name, were still lost to him, only bits and pieces refined to full detail. Yeonjun clearly remembered that they were friends, though it did take him a while to remember what exactly they've done together. He also knew his mysterious friend was crucial to understanding what had happened in the past.

His friend, whoever they were, was the first to ever come back to see Yeonjun.

“Okay! I think that’s enough for today.”

Taehyun beckoned the spirit down, holding up the camera to show him the photos on the screen. Yeonjun frantically leaped off the boulder, scurrying to the boy’s side to review the photos together. Something about these photos, these fantastical images that trapped time from moving onwards with just one click, had him jumping on the tips of his toes. The spirit had encountered strange technologies before, such as paper, that people could use to write and read funny symbols or paint beautiful pictures of their surroundings. Yet, none had come close to his immense curiosity for the magical box Taehyun carried.

“Oh! I took some of uh- the fox? Wait, um does she have a name?”

The question took Yeonjun aback.

“A name?”

“Yeah! It’s getting quite difficult for me to say ‘the fox’ all the time, so I was just wondering… If not, would it be alright if I gave her a name?”

He had never thought about it, not when there was no real need for names. The spirit was one with the forest, he could call any of his friends with just the image of them in his mind. Yet, a curiously nostalgic warmth bubbled up from inside him, the sentimental nature of gifting a name to something - some _one_ \- was one he for some reason knew. A new forgotten memory started to come to mind, the image still developing like the polaroid from last time. Someone’s - probably his previous friend’s - blue sleeve, a brush on a piece of paper, and the fluttering feeling he felt holding said paper.

Though not fully able to comprehend why he felt this way, it felt nice knowing that Taehyun found a special connection with the fox.

“Ofcourse, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.” Sensing that the two were discussing about her, the little friend leaped up to Yeonjun’s lap and pawed around before curling into a fluffy orange swirl.

"Hm…" Taehyun looked over to the spirit and the fox, resting his cheek on the palm of his propped up arm. The boy mindlessly reached out to the fox's fur, stopping just before his fingertip touched the tips of her fur, waiting for some kind of invitation. She - to the slight surprise of Yeonjun - accepted, reached her head out to Taehyun's palm and licked the pads of his fingers.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the boy scooted closer to Yeonjun, lightly bumping shoulders in the process. Taehyun preoccupies himself with finding a fitting name for her, his hand mindlessly brushing through her soft fur.

"Oh gosh this might sound really generic but -" Taehyun scratched the back of her ears, smiling at her happy little whine. "-how about Maple? You know, cuz her fur is kinda similar to the colour of maple leaves around here."

Yeonjun pondered on the name. There _were_ other foxes, even within her own family, that had boasted a more vibrant shade of orange or red. But, it also reminded him of her ancestor, another fox that broke off from his family at times to accompany him. Yeonjun thought back to how he loved to prance through the red and gold trees, racing through the wind to chase down the falling leaves.

"Maple. Maple is nice." Maple yelped at the sound of her new name, her tail smacking Yeonjun's chest with how it wagged rapidly in delight. Taehyun let out a giggle, now running both his hands through her face, up her ears and down her neck. 

Up close, Yeonjun's eyes could not leave his visitor. His large, doe-like eyes shimmered like the pond by the waterfall, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he laughed. His soft, light pink lips were permanently curled into a wide smile, just slightly open for his front teeth to peek through. 

How adorable.

A rude buzz startled Yeonjun out of his thoughts, Maple leaping away in shock. Unfazed, Taehyun pulled out a rectangular device from his pocket. The spirit surfed through his mental dictionary of new words for this device; Taehyun told him and demonstrated how to use it once. The sound was the tip of his tongue, f… fa…

Phone.

“Did… did a message come to your phone?”

The boy looked up from his device, the strange fluttering feeling returning when Taehyun nodded with the light smile.

“Yeah it was Kai. He was asking if I wanted to go stargazing again. The village has this nice hill where we like to go sometimes.” 

The village. Yeonjun doesn’t remember if he’s ever been there, though he was sure he had heard stories of it. It was nice to hear about the daily lives of people like Taehyun, what kind of activities they occupied themselves with and how they interacted with each other.

“What is the village like? I’m sure a lot must have changed from the last time I’ve heard about them.”

“Well… it’s quiet, everyone moves at their own pace. Nothing big goes on… Oh! We did have the spring festival a few weeks back...”

Yeonjun listens in interest as the boy goes off about the village; the spring festival they had recently, all the nice people there, and so on. He never really thought much about the village, though he did wonder if he could perhaps go visit sometime. From the stories he had heard from other passersby, the village sounded like a pleasant place, surrounded by kind hearted people.

Yet, deep inside, something stopped him going. An invisible force in his mind restrained him, his feet refusing to leave the premises of the forest. The vines and trees were wary of him leaving for some reason, always on edge whenever he was near the border.

“... and I think there was this one historic important person that’s from here, but they weren’t really that influential I think so yeah. Hey actually-” Taehyun turned to Yeonjun with anticipation.

“- do you wanna come visit the village?”

As the question left the boy’s lips, the heavy feeling crept up Yeonjun’s mind once more. It coiled around his throat, tightening its grip like a snake strangling their meal. It sunk its thorns into his flesh, paralyzing him.

“I-”

Strange distortion of noises, his heavy breathing, and the feeling of desperation all clogged his thoughts just as he tried to accept the invitation. The soles of his feet started to tingle in a strange sense of pain, almost as if blistered had formed there. The force started to close in on him in his own mind, a slight panic rising up from his stomach.

“Yeonjun? You alright?”

The spirit refocused to Taehyun, his eyes searching for something wrong in concern. He held onto one of Yeonjun’s arms, his grip bringing the spirit back to reality. Maple scurried up his lap once more, nudging her snout into his neck. Yeonjun let out a deep breath, brushing away the vines from his mind and picking out the thorns.

“Yeah… I’m fine. About the offer I-” The spirit didn’t realise he was shaking until he brought his hand up to stroke Maple’s back, having to hold onto her fur to calm himself.

“- I’ll… think about it.”

“Uh- no worries. We don’t need to rush.”

Taehyun flashed him another gentle smile, loosening his grip on Yeonjun’s arm.

“Thank you.”

They sat in silence once again, and honestly Yeonjun was glad Taehyun didn’t push further. He never did, always somehow knowing when to back away. The spirit thanked that the boy was just willing to stay with him in silence and listen to the breeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed that chapter :D
> 
> I hope this chapter gave some insight into Yeonjun's mind :3
> 
> Suggestions are welcome anytime!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	8. Summer Bliss

Spring had left just like its own breeze, lightly but surely, carrying the smell of the earth as it went. The days have become longer, the sun breaking through the cloudy skies with its intense rays and sweltering heat. The cicadas started to chirp one by one, replacing the rustling leaves to fill the soundscape.

Taehyun sat out on the balcony of Kai’s house, empty glass of the Huening signature home made lemonade in hand. He missed the cool breeze, which was now hot gusts of wind blowing in his already sweaty face. 

“Refill?”

Kai took a seat next to his friend, holding up a large jug of lemonade. Taehyun passed him his cup, letting the hollow clink of his empty glass answer for him. Coming to Kai’s house to enjoy a nice cup of lemonade was almost routine now for every summer. After school, follow Kai to his house, “study”, and even stay for dinner at times. It was more frequent during the holidays, visiting each other’s houses every other day to spend the time together.

And to think this would be their last.

The two sat in silence, too worn down by the sun to speak. They watched the children down below run around the village square, all ignoring their mother’s pleas to please wear their hats. The two of them had barely played at the square; they would rather go out to the fields near Taehyun’s house, maybe look for frogs or when it rained, snails. Beomgyu would join them at times, though he wasn’t too fond of the critters they often scavenged for.

Oh how the days passed.

“Kai! Can you go run down to Auntie Mi Sook’s place to pick up the fruits we ordered? Taehyun you can go pick some up as well, you mum asked for some.”

The two of them groaned. Auntie Mi Sook lived on the edge of the village, up the hill. It was way too hot for them to be walking around, let alone trek up and down the hill with a box of fruits. “Why couldn’t we have just asked for delivery.” Kai mumbled under his breath as the two made their way down to the entrance.

Passing through the living room, Kai’s mother sat on the couch with the news turned on. Something about a big corporation facing legal problems looking for a large plot of land. “We’ll be back!”

“Oh! On your way, why don’t you go have a look at the new artwork in the museum? Apparently its by a pretty well known scholar that used to live around here.” She suggested, waving to the boys as they walked out to the street. The two shrugged and made their way to the museum, it was on the way to the elder’s house afterall.

The village museum was honestly not much, just a specially built building no bigger than the average house. They displayed a few artifacts that come and go by the season or whenever a larger, more important museum wanted to display it for themselves. For some strange reason, a lot of key historical figures seemed to have lived or visited this remote village, mostly for meditation, and end up making influential works of literature or art. 

From a distance, they could already see a crowd gathering around the building. "I don't think we'll be able to see it right now." Kai just nodded with Taehyun's remark, walking straight past the museum. Murmurs went around the crowd, discussing details of the painting. Taehyun could pick up a few words, such as large, fantastical, and fox.

A fox, huh.

Taehyun chuckled as he thought back to Maple and her little antics. He wondered if this scholar had also met a mischievous fox just like her. The fox that led him to Yeonjun, the lovely spirit in the forest. He wondered what Yeonjun was up to, now the season had changed, whether the little flowers in his hair grew into something new, something more fitting for the summer. 

“Did you send off your portfolio? Isn’t it due like, today?” 

Picking out for his latest project - _The Heart of the Forest_ \- was actually quite difficult, given he had a lot of amazing photos to choose from. The forest was a photogenic place, and it seemed to him that it knew that. Whenever he would lift the camera to his face, the winds would blow at just the right time, or the leaves would make way for the sun to shine through.

And Yeonjun. The spirit was the perfect subject for his photos. He (obviously) fit with his surroundings, another natural part of the forest. He was the centre, the beating _heart_ , of the ecosystem after all. But it wasn’t just that, his sing-song giggles, accompanied with the little flower in his hair, was adorable; his curiosity for the modern endearing. The spirit was, dare he say, _beautiful_. 

He was really proud of it.

“Yeah, I actually sent it off this morning.”

He had shown his soulmate his work, always did. Kai loved to look through all his photos, had followed Taehyun’s journey to becoming a photographer all the way. His favourite was still _Fireflies_ , a project they had done ages ago, just capturing Kai playing with sparklers.

Yet, Taehyun didn’t show him _The Heart of the Forest_ , not when he knew Kai was still uncomfortable with even the thought of the forest. He didn’t know what his soulmate would think, how he would react to knowing Taehyun willingly entered the forest countless times.

“Then should we celebrate tonight? We could go stargazing again - you don’t need to pack anything, my treat.” Kai walked on the balls of his feet, his excitement almost enough to lift his feet off the ground.

Taehyun grinned. It was perfect timing; he could go see Yeonjun again in that time and then leave when they had to meet. 

"Alright, should we meet by the hill at 9?"

Kai tilted his head in confusion. "You could just… come over to my house straight after dropping off the fruits?” Taehyun blinked.

That’s right.

It was more logical to go straight to Kai’s house, it was closer to their usual spot. Taehyun had unconsciously made up his own plans with Yeonjun; they had never planned their meetings. It wasn't like he could give the excuse of building his portfolio or doing leftover work, they had finished that together. He was also given permission to stay out the entire day today.

With his mind all jumbled up with threads that led nowhere, he blurted out the first excuse he could think of:

"I think I forgot one of the components in my portfolio! I, uh, I need to email them and ask if I can resubmit."

Taehyun forced his hands behind his back, not wanting to reveal his lie through his nervous habits. Kai just raised an eyebrow. They both knew that he wasn't that kind of person. Taehyun was diligent, barely missed a deadline and _never_ made silly mistakes on something so important. He would double, even triple check his work, before submitting. 

Which he did.

And he knew for sure he had sent in all the right components.

In the short silence, his heart grew heavier, the guilt weighing him down to the ground. He's never lied this much to his soulmate.

He's never _lied_ to his soulmate ever.

Yet, Kai somehow managed to knock away one of the weights with his loud laughter, echoing through the streets. "I can't believe you forgot! You-" He crouched forward with his arms around his stomach, almost out of breath.

"To think _the_ Kang Taehyun would forget-" His boisterous laughter caught people’s attention, but as soon as they confirmed it was the tall boy, they just smiled and went along. Taehyun let out a quiet sigh of relief and laughed along. He knew this couldn’t last long; he was gonna have to tell Kai soon - just… not right now.

* * *

The forest was just as Taehyun had imagined; the trees now all standing upright with healthy green leaves that enjoyed the sunlight. It was now quite noisy, little critters scurrying around the trees and insects preparing themselves to mate. The Tree was now the healthiest he has ever seen it, its lush leaves all crowded next to each other, creating a large shadow below. Many animals came to rest under the Tree, such as the herd of does that were currently watching their fawns play. The pond was now fully clear, shimmering under the sunlight.

Taehyun sat alone on the grass once more, waiting for Yeonjun to return. He tried to sit as far away from the herd as possible, not wanting to disturb their peace. There was something calming about watching the fawns prance around, lifting all his worries into the air to be taken away by the breeze. Thoughts about the future, wondering if he’ll be alright in the city, his 5 minutes of intense anxiety before brushing away each of his worries with a nonchalance that he’ll be alright, shouldn’t be wasting energy on things that won’t be a problem until he got there. All of these thoughts were gone.

The future didn’t exist in the forest.

“Hello!” Taehyun looked up to see the spirit standing over him, the sunlight hitting him just right to make him look like an angel, descending from the heavens. Yeonjun walked around to take a seat next to his visitor, Maple followed suit slumping against his thigh. Just like the Forest, Yeonjun was now the healthiest he had seen him, the colour of his skin returning, the lines of his bones slowly fading from under his skin, and a much happier smile on his face. The purple crocuses in his hair had changed too, now laced with white daisies, fitting for the summer.

“How was your day?”

“It was alright, just relaxed. Oh, I did send my portfolio though.”

The spirit perked up at the work “portfolio”; he knew the word, Taehyun had taught him what it meant before. The flowers in his hair danced at Yeonjun’s excitement.

“To the city, yes? What is it like there? Is it like… the village?”

Yeonjun’s reluctance to speak of the village was confusing to Taehyun, it was like that last time too. Had he been there before? Did something happen? The more Taehyun got to know the spirit, the less he knew about Yeonjun’s past.

To be quite honest, there wasn’t a lot of Yeonjun’s past he knew.

They’ve never really spoken about it, nor did he want to pry.

It didn’t mean he wasn’t curious.

“Well, they’re different in many ways.” Yeonjun shifted his position so he was facing Taehyun fully, like a child ready to listen to a fantastical story.

“I guess, for one, the city has way more people and things to do…”

Taehyun had first been to the city when their entire family had followed his sister there to help her get settled in. He had first refused to go, he was scared of city people (for some unknown reason). Yet, when they arrived, it was the most magical place he had been to. The bustle of people, the streets that never slept, the lights that never faded, it was all so different from his little village up the mountains. Everything was new, advanced, there were so many unique people to meet. Sure, most kids from their village end up leaving for higher education, but it didn’t dawn on him until then why they had left. 

After his first visit, he would not stop thinking about it for months, building his dreams around going to the city. He had later on fell in love with photography, and it was then his future was fully drawn out, the ink completely dried.

He would go to the city.

“...and I think the city would really help me with my photography. There’s so much to learn there, even if it’s not specifically about photography.”

Taehyun mindlessly rubbed a single piece of grass between his fingers, a strange habit he has when he’s thinking.

He didn’t exactly hate his village, it was a nice place to be after all. Yet, after experiencing what the city could be like, he longed for something new, more “modern”. He wanted to leave this place, where everyone knew him, and embrace the thrill of living in a larger community.

“That’s wonderful. I’m sure you’ll be happier there.”

There was something about Yeonjun’s tone that hinted at a sense of defeat. Taehyun turned to check on the spirit. He was completely still, his hazel eyes fixed on Taehyun, but it looked as if he was somewhere, some _time_ , else. He had the same defeated smile he had when thinking about his past, trying not to let his sorrows escape him.

“I just remembered that my friend also went to the city, though he wasn’t too happy about it."

Yeonjun chuckled at the thought.

“Do you… remember him now?”

“Mmh… a little. I remember a few events here and there, but I still can’t remember vividly what he looked like or even his name.”

Taehyun didn't really know what to do with this information. He really wanted to know, what his previous friend was like, how they interacted, why the spirit was always so blue thinking about his past. He itched to know; he wanted to help his friend.

Luckily, he didn't need to ask.

"I recall that he was um… a nobleman's son? He wasn’t too happy about leaving for the city. If I am correct, he was forced into going in the name of his clan.”

Yeonjun pondered a little more, raking his mind for more memories. During that time, the herd started to get up one by one, preparing to leave. One fawn, the smallest of the bunch, clumsily trotted over to the spirit. Yeonjun gently pet the top of its head, the little deer enjoying the warmth. Watching it skip away on its mother's call, the two watched the herd enter the forest in silence, the loud croak of the cicadas taking over.

“I hope it works out well for you. From hearing you talk about the city, I’m sure you’ll be happier there.” Yeonjun flashed him a reassuring smile, which didn’t convince Taehyun at all. Rather it made him realise he would have to leave the spirit, alone - possibly for an extremely long time - until someone like Taehyun would come along to teach him about the outside world.

Yeonjun would lose touch with another friend again.

“I-I’ll come visit during my break! It’s not like I’ll be there forever, I still need to say hi to my family once in a while. So don’t worry, ‘kay? I’ll bring lots of new stuff.”

Taehyun had no clue what he was saying, he didn’t even know if the spirit truly felt lonely. Seeing Yeonjun’s surprised face made him want to sink into the earth and slither away; he was so stupid. Ofcourse, Yeonjun had the entire forest as his friend, they all communicated with each other, somehow. Taehyun was pretty sure people will be seeing him often, especially as the forest now isn't out to get people anymore.

Yet, the spirit just broke into a giggle, the little daisies dancing along to the tune of his laughter.

"Don't worry! I'll be alright, though it _would_ be nice to see you... once in a while." Yeonjun's ears turn a slight pink, the shy petals in his hair closing up. His lips curled into a bashful grin, his head lowered but his eyes still locking with Taehyun's own.

Oh.

Cute.

Wait-

Taehyun looked away - god he hoped Yeonjun mistakes the intense heat of his neck as just a bad sunburn. His heart beat so hard that it almost felt as if it was rattling his ribs. Taehyun started to fan himself, lying to himself that it was just the sun. The two broke out in laughter once more, completely ignoring the future to come.

Oh summer bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hullo!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this lil chapter :3
> 
> Just a lil side note, I actually forgot a component to my portfolio once and freaked out the next day :P
> 
> ALSO ALSO!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 1K HITS?? WHERE DID YOU ALL COME FROM?!?!?! Thank you so much for enjoy the fic this far and I hope you stay for the rest of our journey together :D
> 
> Suggestions are always welcome!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	9. Encounter on the Day of First Snow

Yeonjun was woken up by the gleeful squeals of a fox, the sound of a gentle crush under its paws. Groggily opening his eyes, he sees the green of the field replaced with the pure white of snow. He tipped his head in confusion; it hadn’t snowed when he had fallen asleep the night before. Feeling an icy cold feeling on his thigh, he looked down to his lap, only for more snow to fall off his hair and onto his legs. Brushing off the rest of the snow, he smiled.

Winter in the Forest was one of the most beautiful sceneries ever, in Yeonjun’s opinion.

The snow that covered the branches of the trees instead of their lost leaves, and the gentle fall of the flakes. The little paw prints in the fluffy snow that told a story of one’s journey and the frozen waters that glimmered like crystals. Though many of his friends were in deep sleep or away for the season, he still enjoyed the company of the ones that stayed.

Sensing the spirit was awake, his little friend leaped up to where he sat. Nudging at the spirit’s hand, he beckoned for the spirit to join him in the snow. Yeonjun giggled at the fox’s enthusiasm, brushing off the snow from his fur. “Alright I’m coming.” Stumbling off the tree, he felt the cool snow between his toes wake him fully from his slumber.

Yeonjun didn’t really need to sleep; it was just another way to replenish his energy. The spirit only ever slept when his energy depleted too much, like it was yesterday. “Energy” as one might call it came from the life that each and every breathing thing in the Forest produced, which in turn helped the spirit heal and take better care of them. It was an harmonious exchange, one supporting the other.

The fox squealed once more, jumping and rolling around in the snow. Yeonjun grabbed a small hand full of snow and threw it up into the air, laughing as the fox jumped to catch some in his mouth. Settling down, he traced random lines across the soft snow, letting the sharp coldness tickle his skin.

In the distance, squeals could be heard, probably another group of excited foxes. Yeonjun’s partner came to an abrupt stop, his ear perked up to the sky, wiggling to locate the sound. When he found it, the fox turned to Yeonjun, asking for permission to go join them for a while. “Ofcourse, go along now. You don’t wanna miss them.” The fox yapped in happiness and dashed off into the forest, followed by a dialogue of squeals and shuffling paws.

The day of the first snow was always a happy day, and a lonely one.

Mindlessly tracing his fingers through the snow one final time, Yeonjun stood back up. Perhaps he would check up on the pregnant mother bear once more, see if she’s alright and already in her den. Brushing off the snow, he made his way into the forest when a figure from the corner of his eyes caught his attention.

The figure leaped out of the forest on the opposite side of where Yeonjun stood. Walking closer to the figure, he could make out it was a human boy, leaned forward with his hands on his knees. He was huffing heavily, his tied up black hair a mess. The boy dressed in pale blue, almost blending in with the snow. He was wearing far too little for a human to stand this cold.

“Are you… alright there?”

The visitor looked up in shock; he was probably not expecting anyone to be around. His eyes were red and puffy around the edges, even the cold not being able to calm them down. Fresh tear tracks could be seen on his cheeks, sloppily rubbed away with the hem of the boy’s sleeve. When his glassy eyes started to register the spirit, he shot straight up, black hair bouncing up with the motion.

“Are you the wish granting spirit? Could you please help me?”

Yeonjun looked up at the boy, who was just as tall as he was. He was desperate, the spirit could tell, from the way his lips quivered slightly to his tightly grasped hands. Yeonjun frowned.

Whenever humans came through the forest, they often looked for a “wish granting spirit”, which they believed was Yeonjun. He sometimes wished he was one, with so many people seeking him out to help their situation.

“I’m...sorry, I’m just the spirit of this forest. If it is herbs you need assistance with, I can get some for you right now.”

The boy stared at him in shock, like most humans did when they heard the word “spirit” come from his mouth. Yeonjun believed there was a rumor going around the village nearby, from what he heard from passing merchants, that a wish granting spirit resided in the forest. Yet when they always came to find said spirit, they would only get a forest spirit. And it was the same for this situation.

This boy didn’t need a forest spirit.

The visitor shook his head. “It’s alright, it was stupid of me to even believe the rumors around the market place.” He wiped away the last signs of his tears, having exhausted himself. He let out a little sneeze, sniffling afterwards.

“Oh no, you must be cold. Come this way, we must warm you up.”

Yeonjun reached out and carefully held the young boy’s ice cold hands, leading him towards the Tree. Leaping over the frozen stream, he beckoned his visitor to sit where the spirit fell asleep last night. The boy gave the spirit an unsure look, before settling down between the roots, curling up into his torso to warm himself. Giving his visitor a reassuring smile, he placed his hand on the root nearest to him.

“Don’t be scared, okay?” With the boy’s unsure nod, the spirit gently asked the Tree to shelter the human from the winds. He felt a warm glow under his skin, starting from his chest, down his arms to his fingertips, where it seeped into the old bark of the roots and up to the trunk. The roots around them clustered to create two walls on either side of them, the vines climbed up the walls and entangled themselves to create a roof above the two strangers. The lost boy stared in awe, his hand awkwardly in suspension unsure of whether he could touch the wall. 

“Is it a little bit warmer now?” His visitor just nodded, still taken aback by the structure around him. Yeonjun climbed up and took a seat next to the boy, not wanting to obstruct his view from what the spirit believed to be a beautiful sight.

They then sat in silence, listening to the gusts of winds sweep through the trees and watching the light snow float to the ground. Upon a proper look, Yeonjun could tell the boy’s mind was still plagued with his worries. The light in his eyes was dim, unfocused and looking down to his feet. His frown never left him, sometimes pressing his lips together in a tight line. He hadn’t bothered to fix his hair, the ribbon dangling loosely from his hair.

Perhaps he really needed a wish granting spirit.

“If… it wouldn’t bother you, may I… still express my concerns? At this point, it may be better for me to tell a forest spirit than anyone in the village.”

Yeonjun nodded. “Of Course. I may not understand some terms, but I can still listen.”

The spirit liked listening to humans anyways; their stories were lively and intriguing, tales of the colourful array of people in the markets and juicy courtly gossip.

Humans really were vibrant creatures.

“I’ve been… extremely… tired… as of late. Perhaps because of all the studying I have been doing for the civil service exams. I have never been one to be any good at studying; I’m nothing like my intelligent elder sister.” The boy mindlessly traces the lines of the ancient roots, following the never ending labyrinth. 

Yeonjun tilted his head in slight confusion. He had heard the word  _ exams  _ before, but never really got the chance to ask what they were to the many that passed by. From what he had inferred, it was a sort of event where one’s intelligence was quantified - though he would have to ask the boy again. For now, he kept listening.

“And… I haven’t been able to indulge in painting  _ or  _ calligraphy - I don’t have the fleeting feeling I always had before when holding a brush or rubbing the ink stick on the stone. It is as if my imagination was traded for my studies.”

_Painting_ and _calligraphy_ , the spirit had also heard these words from the whispers of passersby before. He knew _calligraphy_ involved funny looking symbols, each cluster representing a specific word. And _paintings_ , those beautiful images he’d caught glimpses of in broken pieces of porcelain left behind, the intricate details of life depicted on them, had always piqued Yeonjun’s interest.

Perhaps this  _ painting  _ and  _ calligraphy  _ were a passion of his, something he had cherished deeply; maybe similar to how Yeonjun cared for the Forest. What would Yeonjun do if had lost the Forest? He didn’t know, but he knew thinking about it scared him, just like how the boy was probably feeling right now.

His visitor had stopped talking, still trying to find the end of the maze. The winds echoed through the shelter, filling in the gaps of the silence. In the silence, the curiosity of the boy’s  _ painting  _ and  _ calligraphy  _ got the best of Yeonjun; he wanted to see clearly what these activities entailed.

“I’m sorry, I think I’ve rambled too-”

“If it is possible… would you be able to show me some of your pain-tings and cal-li-gra-phies? I’ve seen a few littered around the forest, but I’ve never seen a full image...” The spirit enunciated each syllable, wanting to make sure he pronounced them correctly.

The boy was taken aback at Yeonjun’s request, his fingers stopped tracing through the maze.

“W-would… a forest spirit... be interested in  _ my  _ work? I-I’m sure you must have seen many others, given that many merchants come and go with exquisite works…” The boy shrank even smaller than he was, hiding himself from the spirit.

“Of course! I’ve never seen one properly before, so if you are alright with it, could you come show me? You don’t have to make anything new.” Yeonjun could feel his excitement surging through the veins under the earth and over their shelter, a colourful array of chrysanthemums blooming along them. His visitor looked up in wonder, his jaw dropping at the sight of the fresh flowers.

“All chrysanthemums have withered weeks ago…” The artists trailed off, his mouth opening and closing like the fish that swam in the lake nearby. He turned to look back at the spirit, his face now full of determination.

“If… I was to show you my works, would you be able to show me more wonders like this?” The boy pointed up to the flowers, some of which were already shedding their petals due to the cold. Yeonjun nodded vigorously, causing the blooms to strengthen once more, before returning back to withering away.

“Of course! If you wish, I can also show you sights around the Forest that many humans have not been able to see.” Yeonjun could tell the boy’s interest from the way a hint of light returned to his eyes. Looking at him now, the artists looked similar to a bunny, nose scrunching every now and then and imagining long ears twitching at Yeonjun’s request.

“Yes, yes! Then perhaps I will return, although I do not know when I will have the time…” The boy looked away once more. “Ah! I may have stayed too long - my teacher will be looking for me.” The visitor stood up, hitting his head on the vine shelter, hastening the shedding petals. Yeonjun giggled, the silly look of embarrassment the boy had seemingly adorable. The boy hid his face as he walked onto the snow, too ashamed to watch the spirit dismantle their temporary shelter.

Leaping to where the boy was waiting for him, Yeonjun walked him down through the Forest and out to the village, not wanting the thinly clothed artist to get lost in the cold. Waving him goodbye, the spirit trekked back up to the Tree with a small smile on his face, the squirrels that followed him chattering amongst themselves.

Perhaps he wasn’t going to be lonely for a while. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! Hope you enjoyed this chapter about Yeonjun's ~mysterious~ past
> 
> Suggestions are always welcome!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	10. Clear Waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to dedicate this chapter to my dear friend Dee. Happy happy birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day and thank you for reading and actively supporting me all this time :>

Taehyun was quick on his feet. His excitement was getting the best of him, so much so that he felt as if he could almost float. He clutched tightly on the straps of his bag, his knuckles turning white.

This was the first time the two had actually planned to meet, the many other times being a pure coincidence. Yeonjun didn’t tell him what they were going to do, only to bring his camera under his giggles.

Taehyun didn’t know why he was so excited though, he just was. The mere idea of meeting the spirit, seeing the little flowers that bloomed with his laughter, his curiosity of the alien technologies Taehyun brought to the Forest, was neatly planted into his mind, now having grown into a sturdy sprout.

Weaving through the rowdy children, street vendors, parents returning from grocery shopping and businessmen that didn’t fit in, he turned the corner to bump into a particularly tallboy.

“Oh sor- Kai!”

Taehyun would be lying if he said he didn’t panic a little. Of all the people he could have run into, it had to be his soulmate, the one person that knew he had been into the Forest.

"Hey! Where are you going?" The tall boy chirped, always cheery as usual.

"Um… just… to the fields! Uh- mister Yeong Cheol asked me to help out with some...stuff." 

Taehyun sometimes wished he was a better liar, he _knew_ Kai wasn't going to buy it just by the way the creases between his eyebrows multiplied. 

"...Okaaay… d'you want me to come along?"

“U-uh no it’s alright, it’ll be quick.”

The two stood there in heavy silence, the bustle of the village all faded and the world stopping just for the two of them. Taehyun swore this would be the last time he lied to his soulmate; it made him feel sick inside, each and every word of his lies churning in his stomach.

Kai let out a sigh. “Alright, it’s just… you haven’t been around lately… is something up?”

The taller’s eyes drooped, the light in his eyes wavering. Summer was an important time for them, a time where school didn’t dictate their life and the weather was often _just_ right for them to stay outside. Their summers were always with each other, and this one would be their last.

“And I know… you’ve been busy with your portfolio and stuff but… you’ve been acting strange and disappearing ever since you entered the forest.”

Taehyun knew this too; He knows he’s been acting out of “character” ever since he’d met Yeonjun. He knows he’s been spending less time with Kai, giving him half-baked excuses just to go back into the forest to see the spirit. Taehyun looked down, playing with the hem of his shirt. He couldn’t look at Kai, not when there was so much he had hidden from him.

“ ‘M sorry. I… don’t really have an excuse. I know I haven’t been around…” Taehyun didn’t know what else to say. He wasn’t ready to tell Kai about his many visits to the Forest, he wasn’t ready to share his little secret, but more importantly, he didn’t want Kai to worry. He remembered the day he first entered the Forest, how his soulmate felt panicked, and the tears that would not stop running down his face when he saw Taehyun alive.

“How ‘bout I make it up to you next week? I hear they’re opening the carnival again near the station.” They both knew he was trying to change the subject, but Kai let it slide. Instead, Taehyun could see the excitement surge through his body as he straightened up.

“Yeah, I heard that too! We should go, we should go!” The boy jumped on his toes.

“Okay! We should check prices first though. I think they might have raised them again.” Kai nodded, his hair fluffing up and down to his movements.

“I’ll run home and check right now!” With that, the tall boy was gone though not lost in the crowd, his messy head of hair a landmark amidst the sea of people. Making sure the boy was completely out of sight, Taehyun also started making his way towards his destination, the secret that he won’t tell even his soulmate.

* * *

“It’s a secret!”

Yeonjun laughed at Taehyun’s confusion, Maple squealing along to tease their visitor. The spirit held onto his wrists and dragged him to his feet, leading the way to the new spot they would visit today.

“C’mon, not even a hint for your curious guest?”

“Nope!”

Taehyun sighed in defeat and followed the melody of the spirit’s laughter. His path was raging with fresh flowers, a product of Yeonjun’s absolute delight. He had never gone this path before, the crooked stone path creating a staircase-like structure. Maple sprinted ahead, leaping from one stone to the next.

Even in the insanely hot weather, the Forest was cool, the winds rather refreshing compared to the hot air that passed through the village. Actually… waves of cold wind kept pushing against them, tussling with their hair. The flowers in Yeonjun's hair clung tightly to each strand, threatening to fall any moment. Walking a little further, he could hear something; almost sounded like the sound of heavy rainfall, minus the pitter patter.

"It's just up there, hurry!" The spirit leaped up each step with just the tips of his toes, as if gravity had no effect on him.

Trudging up the last of the steps, a small waterfall revealed itself to Taehyun. The water came from the perpendicular cliff above, elegantly falling into a shallow pool below where Maple was already playing in. It then followed little streams around the large rocks that guarded the pool and down the slope of the mountain. The water shone brightly under the summer sun, revealing the lively fish and tadpoles that went about their day.

“Woah…”

Taehyun wished he had brought his digital camera; he had only brought his film camera to record their time together, he figured Yeonjun would like some of them. Making their way to the largest boulder, Taehyun settled next to the spirit and stared in awe.

“It’s a nice change of scenery isn’t it?”

The spirit beamed, satisfied with his visitor’s silent wonder.

Taehyun has no idea that there was such a beautiful waterfall so close to the village; he doesn’t think anyone in the community knew of it. As if by instinct, instead of his film camera, he reached for his phone in his pocket. It was the closest thing to his digital camera; this view had to be captured with better equipment.

“Don’t you want to dip your toes in?” When Taehyun looked back up, Yeonjun was already in the pool, wiggling his toes on top of the bronze pebbles that decorated the floor. With the sun and it’s reflection in the water, the spirit glowed even brighter than the blazing sun, more ethereal than the moon.

“Stay right there.” Taehyun hastily slung his bag around and reached for his camera. Searching for the perfect angle through the viewfinder, he signaled to the spirit. 

“You should pose or something!” Yeonjun tipped his head in confusion, probably raking his mind for a definition again. Before he could explain, the spirit unsurely held up his fingers in a “V” - just like Taehyun had shown him last time. The photographer giggled and returned to the viewfinder.

“Smile!”

With a click, the polaroid rolled out of the printer, ready for development. Putting away everything that might be of risk of falling into the water, he kicked off his flip-flops. Tip toeing to the edge where the water met the boulder, Taehyun hesitated.

“Is… uh- this safe? I know that the Forest is less hostile now but still…” 

“It’s alright, I understand your concerns. It is safe now; I made sure to check and heal around this area beforehand.”

Taehyun felt a little bad for asking, but it was still a safety precaution he had to remember. Not too long ago, the Forest was still a place where many were lost forever and rumors kept people away from it. But now it confused him - why hadn’t the Forest attacked him?

Dipping his toes into the pool, he let out a relieved sigh as the water cooled his burning feet, hugging his ankles all the way to every single toe. Walking towards Yeonjun, he could see the inhabitants scurrying around, adapting to the waves he was making. When Taehyun got to where the spirit was, the water was halfway up his shins.

“I didn’t know there was a place like this so close to the village.”

Yeonjun laughed once more. “Perhaps, it _is_ quite well hidden. I’ve also never shown this location to anyone - it’s somewhere… I keep to myself.” The spirit leaned forwards to submerge his hands, giggling at the way the little fish bumped into his fingers to say hello. 

Taehyun’s mind started to spin. A place… no one has been to before. This waterfall - one Yeonjun keeps for himself. What this meant, he had no clue, but it did bring a familiar heat to his face.

He needed to cool down.

“Taehyun? Are you alright? You seem to be very hot.” The spirit looked up in worry. “Ah- I’m alright. Just- the sun! Is really hot…” He could feel the obvious temperature difference where the water met his legs, almost hot enough that the water could sizzle.

“You should cool down-”

“Y-yeah! I will-”

“- with this!”

Before he could react, Yeonjun splashed water to his face, soaking his hair and the top of his shirt. Blinking the water away, Taehyun watched the spirit laugh out loud, clutching his stomach.

Oh, so _this_ is how it was going to be.

Thus began the war, both parties splashing each other until they were completely drenched, their little fox companion stomping around to join the scuffle as well. They had all forgotten the blazing heat of the summer sun; nothing mattered right now. Only pure enjoyment of the water droplets raining on their skin and the laughters that bounced off the stones and echoed through the Forest.

He should've brought a change of clothes.

In a temporary truce, the spirit and the boy wiped the water away from their eyes, shaking off the droplets that fell from their soaked hair. Opening his eyes, Taehyun saw a completely drenched Yeonjun, his blonde hair stuck to his face and flower drooping down from the excess amounts of water they were hit with. 

“Should we conclude in a draw today?”

“Oh? Yeonjun are you admitting defeat?”

“No! Of course not! I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t catch a cold!” The spirit defended himself with a pout, adorably competitive about their childish game. When the spirit looked up to lock his hazel eyes with Taehyun's own, the two broke out in laughter once more, for seemingly no reason but utter bliss. Shuffling over to the boulder together, the two silently basked in the sunlight to dry off, to no avail as Maple violently shook her fur. 

“Oh! May I see the photo you just took?” Yeonjun gestured to his bag, the flowers in his hair slowly opening once more in anticipation. “Sure.” Taehyun wiped his wet hands on the rough surface of his bag before grabbing the polaroid from before, worried it might get wet. Leaning into each other, the two examine the fully developed film.

The photo revealed Yeonjun, smiling a toothy smile in front of the serene waterfall. The spirit was almost too bright that his image was almost over exposed, reflecting the sun’s light like the moon.

“Oh look! Maple is in it too!” Guided by Yeonjun’s finger, he noticed the fox’s head popping out of the water, the rest of her body submerged in the pool. Taehyun let out an amused huff. “She seems to be really enjoying it.” Looking up, he realised how close they were, their foreheads centimetres apart from touching. He could make out every single one of the spirit’s long eyelashes, fanning out nicely on his wet skin.

Why was it getting hotter?

“We should take one together? Like last time!” They locked eyes once more, but now closer than they ever have been. Yeonjun’s eyes glimmered like the pool in front of them, the most expensive jewels in the Earth. Internally screaming, Taehyun looked away, rummaging through his bag for his camera as an excuse to calm himself down. Taking three deep breaths, he turned to Yeonjun once more with his camera in hand.

“Okay! You wanna take one with the waterfall behind us?” The spirit nodded furiously, spinning around so his back faced the pool. Scooting next to Yeonjun once more, Taehyun lifted the camera and searched for the button.

“Alright ready?

One

Two

Three

Smile!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Hope you enjoyed that mindless fluff :3
> 
> Suggestions are always welcome!  
>    
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	11. A Confrontation

The sun was making the final part of its journey across the sky, slowly descending into the mountain. It illuminated Taehyun's room with a gentle orange, it's warmth much more comforting than the harsh heat of midday. 

Taehyun slumped face down onto his bed, letting it envelop him in its fluffy embrace. He felt a dip next to him, Kai probably taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He fell back to rest his head against Taehyun's back, staring blankly up to the ceiling. They left the soft call of the birds and the slight sway of the leaves filled their silence, having used up all of their energy at the carnival.

After what seemed like five minutes of complete stillness, Taehyun could feel his friend’s weight off his back.

“Can I see the photos from today?”

“Mh, it’s in my bag.” 

Taehyun gestured vaguely to the side, not once lifting his face off of his pillow. Feeling Kai’s weight off his bed, his mind drifted, lingering between being awake and unconscious. They had more fun at the carnival than he anticipated, even if they didn’t get on any of the scary rides.

The hazy memories of their adventure and the setting sun on his skin lulled him to sleep, his mind sinking deeper into unconsciousness. The light clicks of Kai looking through the photos were almost systematic, each click counting backwards into the past.

Click.

Click.

Click.

“Hey Taehyun?”

Kai’s call nudged him back to consciousness, his mind a little fuzzy.

“Mh?”

“Where’s this?”

Taehyun rolled over to his left, wincing at his harsh ceiling light. Sitting up, he leaned over to where Kai sat. Looking over his shoulder, Taehyun blinked a couple times and squinted, his vision still blurry.

The photo Kai showed him looked like lots of blurry earth colours, brown, green, and a slight grey as well. Rubbing his eyes once, Taehyun could finally see it in some detail, to his absolute horror.

The photo was of the waterfall he had returned to last week after their initial visit, the water glistening even in the still photo.

Taking the camera from Kai, Taehyun looked down and stared, not really knowing what to say. Surprisingly, he wasn’t too panicked, perhaps just a little less prepared. He had always known he would have to tell his friend one day, Kai having already picked up on his strange behaviour. Taehyun had never really wanted to hide it from him for this long, yet there was an irrational side of him that wanted to hide his secret just a bit longer, to himself. He had still yet planned how to tell Kai, but now that his friend, _soulmate_ , had come to confront him, perhaps it was time.

“This… was in the Forest.”

His room went dead silent, the noisy cicadas busy trying to fill in the gaps. When Kai didn’t respond, Taehyun’s initial acceptance faded away to a creeping sense of dread, crawling up his back and whispering taunting worries into his ear. 

_Was he mad?_

“Oh.”

Taehyun flinched at the sudden reply. 

_Oh?_

He couldn't decipher the emotion in his soulmate's voice. Anger? Confusion? Disappointment? Relief? It was difficult to tell, especially when he couldn't face Kai right now. His mind was jumbled with words, trying to piece them together to find the best way to explain to his friend without it sounding like another excuse.

Taehyun was done giving shaky excuses.

Clicking back through his gallery, the memories of the past summer fly by him. Then, an idea sprouted in his mind. Flipping all the way back to his photos in the spring, Taehyun scooted closer to Kai, showing him his photos as he spoke.

“After the spring festival, I… actually went back into the Forest again; I was curious.”

He could hear a slight shuffle next to him.

“On the night I ran into the Forest… there was actually something other than just the fields...:”

Clicking to the next photo, the display revealed his very first photo of Yeonjun, still slouched under the Tree, curiously looking straight into the lens.

“There was a person - Yeonjun - who actually woke up the second time I went in. Said he was a spirit, and I know you might think I was seeing things, but the way the environment molds around him, you’d believe the same.”

From there, there was no turning back. Taehyun recounted his experience in the Forest, how he got along with Yeonjun - and Maple - from the dawn of spring to now, approaching mid summer. Teaching the spirit about his camera, both digital and film, following him around the healing Forest. Learning about Yeonjun, his little habits and quirks, the way his smile encouraged the flowers to bloom. His mysterious past, before he fell asleep, how even the spirit himself was unsure of his distant past.

All with the many photos Taehyun took when he had entered the Forest.

“... and I know I should’ve just told you - I didn’t mean to hide from you for _this_ long… it’s just…”

Kai finally responded - with a sniffle. Instinctively, Taehyun snapped his head to his friend. His overgrown fluffy hair hid his eyes, but he could tell something was up by the way his lips pressed against each other so hard the edges turned white. 

“Kai?”

“Do you think… dad…”

Taehyun could feel the muscles in his face release, having smiled talking about Yeonjun without even noticing. Instead, Kai’s lingering words drew out a deep seated sense of guilt, one he hadn’t felt ever since the disappearance of Kai’s father. Guilt for not knowing how to help, disappointment in himself for not being able to find the words to comfort his soulmate.

But this time, Taehyun had somewhat of an answer to his questions - he had asked Yeonjun himself before. The Forest was just protecting itself, having experienced something terrible in the past. Yet, he decided to sit in silence; what Kai needed wasn’t immediate answers right now, it would bring conflict to his mind. 

The silence was suffocating, all the questions Taehyun knew Kai had clogging the space between them. The uncertainty of what his soulmate would say, how he would respond, made him anxious. He had broken his trust, Taehyun would completely understand if Kai was to be upset or even disappointed.

After what felt like forever, his soulmate finally spoke once more, though not before taking three deep breaths.

“You know-”

Kai cleared his throat, his voice wavering.

“...to be completely honest, I don’t know what to feel right now.”

He finally lifted his head, turning to face Taehyun. He hadn’t cried, yet his edges of his eyes were slightly red and puffy. Kai let out a short breath, his lips curled in a small frown.

“Am I mad? Not really, maybe just a little disappointed. Am I scared for you? Yes, but at the same time, the way you described everything, it seemed like the Forest, and this Yeonjun spirit was nice to you - I mean, you always came back in one piece.”

Taehyun finally let go of his breath. He understood, he completely understood where Kai would be coming from. He knew he would have to give his soulmate some time to process everything, figure out what he felt about all this. So, he just nodded.

“I mean, I knew you were hiding something, but I didn’t think it would be something like _this_.”

Taehyun grinned sheepishly; he knew that he was way too obvious with his lies. In turn, Kai finally managed to smile, if only just a little.

“You suck at lying.”

“Don’t need to rub it in.”

His soulmate giggled, his usual brightness returning like first light. Taehyun couldn’t escape Kai’s infectious laughter, his lips curling upwards, before following suit. Everything was so confusing, this entire situation was weird, but they laughed to forget. There would be another time to think on it.

“Can I see the rest of the photos? The Forest… it’s very pretty…”

Kai whispered the final few words of his sentence, still puzzled on how to react to the Forest. Taehyun passed his camera back to his friend, letting him sift through the rest. Rummaging through his drawer, he found all the film photos he had taken with Yeonjun. Collecting them into a neat pile, the one they took together by the waterfall being at the very top.

He continued his story, describing the places he went with Yeonjun; the fields, the boulders, the waterfall. Kai hummed as he listened to Taehyun go on, flicking through the last of Taehyun’s photos in his camera roll before moving onto the film photos.

“- and he has these flowers on his head - daisies right now I think - that open and close to his emotion. They’ll bloom when he’s excited and close when he’s shy or sad. They’ll sometimes dance if Yeonjun’s feeling particularly happy.”

Just imagining the little flower bloom to the sound of the spirit’s laughter, the birds that followed suit, and the winds that tickled their necks had Taehyun smiling wide once again, straining his muscles. Focused on the photo of their time at the waterfall, he was startled when Kai poked at his cheeks.

“Hey, d’you... _like_ Yeonjun?”

By the look of his friend, Taehyun immediately knew what he was on about. He had a mischievous look on him, his lips curled into a sly grin and his eyes glistening, ready to tease his soulmate. Taehyun huffed in disbelief.

Of course he liked Yeonjun! He’s a genuinely nice person, looking out for Taehyun even when he didn’t really understand how modern society worked. His voice was nice, his laughter even better, almost enough to leave the sun jobless. The way his eyes lit up whenever Taehyun mentioned something he didn’t know, the way the little flowers in his hair would jump up, they were endearing. He wasn’t bad looking either; soft fluffy blonde hair, the cutest crinkles around his eyes when he gave a toothy smile. Yeonjun was nice, he was great! Taehyun…

...liked...him.

His mind stopped. The realisation was slow to hit, but it hit hard. In just a split second, he could feel his face heat up, the cool air from his aircon unable to calm him down. All sense of order broke down in his head, only his internal screams of absolute embarrassment. He hid his face from Kai so he wouldn’t catch on, but they wouldn’t be soulmates if he couldn’t tell.

“Oooooooooohhh I see I see~”

“...Shut up.”

Kai finally let out his boisterous laughter as he clapped in excitement, overpowering the sound of the cicadas. Taehyun fell back on his bed, covering his ears from the relentless teasing his soulmate was raining down on him. But he still laughed; this was so stupid.

He was glad he was forced to spit his secret out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! idk what this was but hope you still liked it :>
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	12. Loose Ends

Summer rain came earlier than usual, the smell of the damp earth and fresh leaves enveloping the mountains. The snail had come out to enjoy the humid weather, wiggling their antennae in glee.

Taehyun had entered the Forest just as the rain started to fall, his red hair a little damp from the light showers. Yeonjun had created a shelter by the trunk of the Tree with vines beforehand, having heard the panicked flutter of the butterflies and bees finding their own cover from the incoming rain.

There was always something to tell Taehyun, whether it be a bit of his past or a recent event that happened in the Forest, Yeonjun never lost things to say. It was the same for his visitor as well, having seemingly always come with something new to teach the spirit about modern civilisation. Even when their worlds clashed, the two listened tentatively to each other’s side of their shared world.

Like right now, when Yeonjun recounted the time he helped a little girl search for her puppy. Taking her tiny hand in his, the spirit had comforted the girl as they wandered the Forest for the pet, picking flowers for her as they went. Once Yeonjun had found the puppy and led the girl back to the edge of the Forest, the girl hugged the spirit, thanking the “nice fairy” as she rushed off into the village, her hair laced with colourful flowers.

In return, Taehyun had shown him his recent photos from a place called a ‘carnival’. His visitor described it as a place people went for recreational purposes, with large structures called ‘rides’ that moved faster than a tiger. Yeonjun still couldn’t quite understand any of the strange loopy ‘rides’ or food items Taehyun and his friend enjoyed in the photo, looking like something from a completely different world.

Every moment Yeonjun spent with Taehyun was fluttering, a feeling of great warmth the spirit hadn’t felt since his previous friend. But there was something more, a slight mellowness he felt deep in his heart. Their own little bubble, slowly floating away, with no regards to time.

That was, until an uninvited buzz popped the bubble and Yeonjun was falling back into the grasp of reality.

"Oh damn, think I need to go now. Apparently a strong rainstorm is coming this way."

Ah. No wonder the bees were extra worried earlier.

Yeonjun just nodded, watching the boy pack his things.

"Do you know your way out? I can call for a friend to help if you need."

Taehyun shook his head, pulling out a rolled up piece of fabric on a cylinder before slinging his bag behind him.

"It's okay, I've gotten pretty familiar with the path now. I'll be alright."

He pushed open the rolled fabric from inside, revealing a shiny stick attached to a web like structure that opened up the fabric. Yeonjun's mind lit up.

An umbrella?

It looked like the ones he had caught glimpses of in the past, though smaller and not made of wood. It was also slightly crooked towards the ends, maybe it was broken?

Taehyun didn’t move afterwards, fingers reluctantly lingering across the pole. The two sat in silence once more, enjoying each other’s company till the very next buzz of his phone. After which he finally stood up.

"Then, see you soon?"

"Mh, come anytime you can."

Giving Yeonjun a little smile, the boy dashed into the Forest, the impact of his sandals hitting the damp ground splashing water on his legs.

As the rain poured down heavier, Yeonjun dismantled the shelter, letting himself get drenched. It was refreshing; he could feel the plants absorbing it, coursing through like rapid streams. It helped the spirit sustain himself as well, the energy that he shared with the Forest diminishing his need for sleep. Though, if it got any heavier, he would have to create a shelter again; being over watered made him feel miserable.

The spirit sat in complete silence, letting the rain flood his thoughts. He looked to where Taehyun had run off to, looking for the gentle sway of the trees as the boy passed the edge of his reach. Sure enough he felt it, the slight tingle in his fingers as the branches made way for Taehyun to leave the Forest. Yeonjun let out a sigh - of relief or disappointment, he wasn't too sure.

Visitors becoming familiar with the way back was one of the spirit's unreasonable fears; leaving would become easier for them.

It was why no one could leave the Forest during his prolonged rest. The Forest only wanted to protect itself, attacking those who took from it after so much of the Forest had been taken away. Yet, Yeonjun sometimes feared it also acted out because of him, and his selfish desire of just wanting someone to stay. He never meant it to be that way, and he could never bring those lives back.

It scared him.

Sleep.

Maybe if Yeonjun slept, it would halt the neverending storm of thoughts. The spirit wasn’t tired, he was overflowing with energy; but his thoughts were too confusing for him right now. Without moving so much as a finger, branches shot out to shelter him, creating an elaborate lattice dome around him. 

Leaning back onto the Tree, Yeonjun closed his eyes, the first after his great slumber. With the sound of the heavy rainfall echoing through the Forest, he tried to enter the abyss, despite the rapid currents of energy flowing through him.

Yet, the abyss had other plans for the spirit. In the sight of nothingness, memories started to resurface, the same ones as always. Heavy breathing, rapid footsteps, a sense of desperation clogging his throat. Yeonjun had to find them, yes, they could help him. The usual light warmth of the Forest's energy turning cold and heavy, muddied. The loud clutter, the feeling of being crushed between the weight of the sky and earth. The painful itch in his fingers and toes.

A piercing jab through his heart.

Yeonjun burst open his eyes and wheezed. Crouching forwards, he clutched his chest, feeling his heart beating at dangerous speeds. The excess energy wasn't helping.

In panic, the Tree released a warning signal through its roots, rapidly spreading to the edges of the Forest perimeter. Deep inside him, something vile was bubbling - the trees had started to develop their toxins.

Made him feel sick.

"No… stop…"

Leaning forward, Yeonjun held onto the nearest root of the tree. Ignoring the numbing pain in his chest, he instead focused on transferring the warmth from it through his arms and down into the root, the usual glow now brighter.

"Stop stop stop-"

The spirit's arms wobbled as his entire body shook - it was happening again. The Tree was the centre of the Forest, and if it felt either it or Yeonjun was being threatened, it would call on the entire Forest to arms. He couldn't have that right now, not when it came with a great cost: the cost of a life - or several.

And Taehyun.

_"I think it's been easier to find you lately."_

Yeonjun's breath hitched at the faint memory. 

From his lost past.

The branches around bared its thorns, reacting to the spirit’s heightened nerves. The air turned heavy, making it hard to breath under the immense pressure of the rainstorm. It was getting serious, Yeonjun could feel the trees contort and groan, their leaves busily developing their poison, the toxins in the atmosphere being whisked far and wide by the violent winds. If the message the Tree sent went far enough, it would slip out of Yeonjun’s reach and spill throughout the entire mountain. 

"Stop it stop it-"

The spirit exerted more force into his palms, making the entire root glow under the immense amount of energy he was transferring. 

"I'm okay, we're okay-"

Yeonjun wasn't sure if he was comforting himself or the Tree, but it worked nonetheless. The Tree seemed to have finally understood, slowly halting its production of its toxins. The thorns on the branches flattened out and the spirit could feel the poison in his fingers dissolve. The vile bubbling in his stomach came to a halt.

The spirit kept at it until he no longer felt ill from the poison and could hear the trees stand back upright. He had fortunately stopped the message just before it had reached the edge of the Forest, before it would have affected the entire mountain and the people living on it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Yeonjun fell back to lean on the trunk once more, releasing the branches from their entanglement.

He needed some fresh air. 

It looked as if the storm was still raging on, but lighter than when he first sheltered himself. Listening to the howling winds once more, it took him back to the faint words that came to him.

_"I think it's been easier to find you lately."_

Yeonjun remembered it was another summer rainy day like this, but not a storm. It was light, almost light enough for one to not notice the rain. 

His friend had come early in the afternoon, dressed thinly in a faded green. Presented himself like a true nobleman's son, clothes without a wrinkle in sight, hair tied up in a neat topknot hidden under his black hat. 

Yeonjun had created another shelter of vines and they had spoken about regular things, such as how his day went and about his crafts. His friend shared about events that occurred outside; the wave of merchants from the far west arriving at the capital that came with products and knowledge that was almost magic, a recent dispute in the high council, and how he was due to become an uncle.

“Oh that’s wonderful news!”

Yet, the young noble didn’t seem to share Yeonjun’s sentiment. A frown had grown and stayed in place ever since he had spoken of his sister.

“I guess so.”

Was all he could muster. The spirit was patient with him, letting the rain refresh his mind.

“I… miss my sister. Have not been able to see her since the wedding. She was intelligent, and could have done so much more if she had not been married away…”

His friend had a very close bond with his elder sister, Yeonjun could tell by the way he spoke of her. There was always a sense of fond admiration and respect for her, a warmth the spirit had never felt.

“But, now that I can come here to talk to you, I feel a little at ease.”

The hairs on Yeonjun’s hair shot up, the flowers around them mimicking its motion. As fast as he was shocked, the spirit couldn’t help but smile, fresh blooms climbing up the vines, giving his obvious happiness away.

“I’m pleased that you find peace here. You’re always welcome to come by.”

The noble reached over to feel the freshly grown Clematis, his frown slowly curling the opposite direction.

“Thank you. Actually… I think it’s been easier to find you lately.”

Yeonjun tilted his head. He’d never heard that before, all his visitors being passersby that lost their way for quite some time. If he thought about it, no one had ever gone out looking for him - they would only be pleasantly surprised when they coincidentally found him.

“How so?”

“I mean, I come here quite often do I not? It is as if my feet are spellbound to this place, aching to come back every time I leave."

The spirit didn't know what the feeling was, but he could tell there were way too many flowers blooming around them, having to resort to climbing up the walls of the shelter and hanging off the top. The surge of energy in his body was like nothing else, propelled further by the rain.

The young noble had finally laughed, teasing the spirit about his uncontrollable flowers. Instead of the dampness of the rain pouring on them, petals gently fluttered down.

Yeonjun smiled at the distant memory, growing a single Clematis on his palm. His lost friend's words had comforted him then, as it did at this very moment.

He didn't have to worry about Taehyun not returning; he seemed to enjoy coming to see the spirit frequently. Even if the boy left the Forest for the last time, that was how Yeonjun's entire experience with humans has been. They move, change, and are fragile, like a dandelion. Normally, he was content with that reality.

Yet, it was different with Taehyun.

Yeonjun cherished everything about him; the way his eyes carried the night sky as he spoke about his future ambitions in photography, the way he almost always trips trying not to step on the flowers, or the warmth of his shoulder as he leans in to listen to the spirit.

Even if Yeonjun knew he would return soon, the spirit had a selfish part of him that wanted him to stay longer, enjoy his company until late into the night where Taehyun would be forced to return home to sleep. It was the first time he felt this way, this aggressive selfishness of his. He sometimes wished the boy wouldn't have to go to the city, hoping that he would turn around and say he'll stay.

It was impossible, Yeonjun knew it all too well. He knew Taehyun would be happier in the city, working hard to reach his goal. The boy would finally be able to experience a whole new environment outside his small village, like he had dreamed of as a child. He wanted Taehyun to be happy.

It tugged at the spirit's heart.

As the Forest slowly turned back to normal and the storm simmered down, Yeonjun yet again recalled something his old friend had said, something that rang and echoed in his mind like a gong.

_"I wonder if he really_ loves _her, as dear sister writes in her letters."_

What did it even mean?

Sure, Yeonjun loves the Forest; it was his home. He cared for every denizen that also called this place a home, they were like family as humans would describe it. Yet he couldn't really place his finger on what his friend meant when his sister loved her husband. Was it similar to what the spirit felt towards Taehyun? Hoping he'll come soon, constantly being reminded of the boy, wanting to see him more?

As purple lilacs decorated the bark around him, Yeonjun pondered on what his friend truly meant.

Perhaps he would ask Taehyun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *yeets this chapter out the window*
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	13. Reverse

Splashing through the damp grass, Taehyun raced through the trees and out the Forest. The forecast this morning had said it wouldn't rain too much, but he guessed the clouds liked to prove them wrong. The trees were at the mercy of the violent winds, bent unnaturally to the side.

By the time he got home, the entirety of his calves were wet, the hem of his shorts damp from the splashes. He had at least managed to keep his bag somewhat dry. As he slipped off his sandals, Taehyun's mother called out to him.

"Taehyun? Are you back?"

"Yeah, just gonna rinse my feet."

Dropping his bag in front of the door, he turned on the showerhead onto his feet.

"Wipe yourself off properly and wear something warm; you might catch a cold."

Taehyun hummed in response, wiping his legs thoroughly like told. His mother popped her head out of the door frame.

"There's something for you on your desk. Come tell us about it at dinner alright?"

From the way her smile never left her face, faint wrinkles multiplying on the edges of her lips and eyes, it was something good.

What it was though, he had not a sliver of a clue.

Surely enough, as he opened the door to his room, there was an envelope that sat neatly on his desk, faced down. Flipping it over, the name of the sender and logo sent shockwaves from the pads of his fingertip that held the envelope down to the tips of his toes.

He was gentle in opening it, as if it would turn to dust if he was hasty with it. Slipping the letter out of its casing, Taehyun set down the envelope back on the desk. He hesitated to open it, thumb playing with the inside of the creases. Finally mustering the courage, he slowly unfolded the letter, scanning the contents within.

_Dear Taehyun,_

_Congratulations! It is an honor for us to offer you a full scholarship in your course in…_

Nothing really mattered after that first line.

Falling into his seat, he just stared at the letter, reading the words over and over again. His hands started to shake, his bones trembling in realisation. The rain against his windows were like drums in a parade, beating to the festive rhythm of his heart. Fireworks shot up and sparkled in his mind - he had done it! 

He was going to go to the city.

Taehyun didn’t need to worry so much about tuition fees, he could just explore freely without care. It was all he had ever wished for, since the day he had laid eyes on the glistening lights of the city. Reaching into his bag, he looked for his phone; he had to tell Kai the good news.

Instead, his fingers caught onto the strap of his camera. 

His excitement quickly faded against the rough texture of the strap, sizzling until he could no longer feel it’s warmth like fireworks fading against the dark night sky.

There was a secret he held in the memory card of that camera that got him to where he was right now. The place that had given him this opportunity to leave his small village. The people that helped Taehyun.

It felt strange, the mix between overflowing exhilaration that had him soaring through the skies and the guilt that dragged him to the core of the earth. He hesitated, knowing full well that looking through that camera would only make him more conflicted, and yet, he wanted to see them again - the places, people, structures - that had led him to this moment.

Clicking through each and every photo he had taken over the past months, it was as if the breeze had whisked him away in a journey he had never been on before. The fresh breeze of spring on the day of the Festival, the bustling streets that smelt like fresh flowers, and tiny footsteps of children running through the fields. The damp smell of summer, beating down on him as he made his way to Kai’s house for some lemonade. Glimpses of the fresh market in the early morning hours, from the farmers hard at work during noon, to the students heading home after school.

Taehyun stopped when he realised his vision was blurred. The colours on his display started to mold into each other, the rigid lines of his camera twisting into a swirl. When he blinked, a single tear fell, so slowly that he hadn’t registered them until it reached his chin.

He would be leaving it all. Of course, not _forever_ , he could always come back to visit. But it was the _visit_ that didn’t sit right with him. It wouldn’t be the same, his daily life would be so completely different from the gentle way of life he grew so accustomed to in this little village perched on top of the mountain. His dreams of life in the city started to turn uncomfortable, even a little terrifying, if he thought about it too much.

Rubbing away the stray tears, Taehyun put down his camera. There were too many thoughts in his mind, all with different opinions. Opposing threads entangled themselves in an elaborate knot, ones that would take time to untie. His vision became unfocused as his confused state of mind took over any will to move.

He’d always thought he wanted to leave this village as fast as he can, explore the busy city first-hand. Travel far and wide to discover new locations where their history and culture was so different from what he was raised with, and yet with just a single letter, he suddenly felt so small against the vast unknown. 

A loud boom outside shocked him out of his spiraling thoughts - the weather forecast never said anything about thunder.

Lightning and thunder.

As if on instinct, Taehyun wondered if Yeonjun would be alright; if the Forest would be able to withstand the storm.

At the thought of the spirit, vines latched onto the messy knot that was his mind, weaving itself into the tiniest nooks to complete the compact knot.

_What about Yeonjun?_

The spirit was a quite recent factor in Taehyun's life that he hadn’t realised how much Yeonjun meant to him over the past months. He had grown fond of the spirit, their time getting to know each other and teaching something new. Someone so detached from civilisation and yet, so easy to talk to about modern society.

His own secret garden.

Yet more than himself, he thought about Yeonjun, and the melancholic loneliness that always surrounded him when he was deep in thought. The spirit was good at hiding it - but Taehyun knew his muddled past to be the cause of it.

Who would the spirit have to talk to after Taehyun was gone, teach him about the outside world he was so interested in? Would he have to wait there, alone under the Tree, until another idiot ran into the Forest? For how long?

_For how long?_

Even if he came to visit from time to time, Taehyun would slowly be dragged further and further away from Yeonjun. The society the spirit was fascinated by would steal his messenger away. 

And what about Taehyun’s newly realised… feelings?

Taehyun groaned and rested his head on his desk. He felt so stupid - he _was_ so stupid. Honestly, what did he expect from these _feelings_ he felt? Yeonjun was a _spirit_ , an eternal constant in Taehyun's finite existence. What did he expect from feeling for him romantically? To become _boyfriends_?

Stupid.

In the flurry of thoughts in his mind, the knot exploded from the strain, leaving only the snapped remains of the threads. His mind went blank, his muscles going slack along with it. It was too much to think about, too many factors in his life that opposed each other.

Taehyun didn’t want to think anymore. He would have slept it away, if only it wasn’t his eager family waiting downstairs for the good news. Resting his head against the cool surface of his desk and letting the letter drop from his fingers, he let out a big sigh.

He wanted to see Yeonjun again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to celebrate 130 kudos that I forgot about last time, I offer all of you a v short chapter (don't worry, the next chapter is long :3)
> 
> but seriously, thank you everyone. between that last chapter and this one, I didn't really know if I wanted to keep writing this fic anymore. but just the knowledge that there are people who are waiting is enough for me to keep going :>
> 
> thank you, I'll keep it up!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	14. Fireflies

The glistening sunlight against the damp leaves of the trees didn’t do anything to compel Taehyun into the Forest.

If this were any other day, he would have happily skipped inside and found his way to Yeonjun, and yet, the green of the trees seemed to taunt him right now. He couldn't stay planted in front of the entrance too long though, anyone who looked close enough would figure out who he was just from his vibrant hair.

With a deep breath, Taehyun slowly stepped into the Forest. His pace was slow, so slow that all the passing blur of colours he used to see running into the place were now sharp and focused. He could see each leaf cut into its distinct shapes and every single line that decorated the tree bark.

His footsteps were heavy, pushing against the damp earth so hard that dirt and grass could climb up his sandals and stick themselves to his skin. He couldn't have cared less.

Taehyun hadn't brought his camera this time around - it was a constant reminder of his forthcoming future. He didn't want to think about it at the moment, even if the plagued thoughts always lingered in the back of his mind.

He just wanted to see Yeonjun, as soon as he could.

Sure enough, the spirit was there, sitting in the middle of the fields. Next to him was a large bear, resting its head on his thighs and enjoying the spirit’s gentle caress. 

Taehyun stood back. He felt like he was intruding on something, a private moment he had no part in. Peeking through the trees, he watched as Yeonjun ran his hands through the soft fur of the bear. He spoke to it like they were old friends, and it grumbled in response. It was a tranquil moment, one no human would ever experience themselves.

A sign that Yeonjun did not belong where Taehyun was from.

Just as soon as he came, the spirit gave a final soft pat on its head before speaking to it once more. It grunted, before slowly getting up off of him. With one last nudge to Yeonjun’s face that made him giggle, the bear took languid strides into the dense forest.

Taehyun didn’t move, not yet. There was still a wall between them that he was scared to walk past; walking into it would ruin what was left of the serene moment. He kept watching the spirit, his laughter fading, replaced with a jarring coldness. The spirit stared out in silence, unmoving and hollow - just like when Taehyun had first found him. It was weird seeing him like that, so robbed of energy.

All of a sudden, Yeonjun shot up where he sat and turned straight towards where Taehyun stood. When their eyes met, his mouth blossomed into a smile, flowers rapidly blooming in a path that led straight to the boy. It was so abrupt that he felt his breath hitch like he was caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to do.

“Taehyun!”

Yeonjun gestured for him to come closer, leaping into the path he made. With an uncertainty he had only felt when he first entered the Forest, Taehyun stepped out of the trees and followed the path towards him. When they met in the middle, his eyes hurt just looking at the glowing spirit, the reflecting sunlight scattered in the humid mist. His hair was almost wholly covered with flowers, so cramped together that they couldn’t stretch their petals fully.

“Did you manage to get home safely? The storm raged on quite heavily after you left.”

With just that, the tension in Taehyun’s face melted away. There was still so much in his mind that prevented him from fully experiencing the absolute joy Yeonjun was radiating, but it would be impossible to not react to the chipper spirit.

“Yeah, I got home before it got too bad. Were you okay?”

Yeonjun paused. He didn’t say anything immediately, eyes wavering. 

“Yes, I was alright. I did feel quite miserable after the storm though - getting overwatered isn’t very pleasant.”

The spirit gave him a wide smile before leading Taehyun towards the Tree for shade. There was something off with Yeonjun’s response, but he didn’t push it. After all, he was the same. 

Settling under the large shadow of the Tree, the two sat in silence; to his slight surprise and dismay, an awkward one. There was still that barrier between them that Taehyun was all too aware of, one that was always there but neither of them had noticed.

“Can you believe it’s already midsummer? I hadn’t realised it until my friend came around to tell me that she was with child. She will be finding a suitable den soon before winter settles.”

Taehyun hummed. It was true, summer had passed like a blur, and it was already late July. It honestly felt like just yesterday that he had recklessly ran into the Forest and found Yeonjun.

“Oh, I want to show you the winter in the Forest someday! It’s the most beautiful sight you could ever imagine.”

He giggled at the spirit’s enthusiasm.

“I’ll remember to come once it starts to snow.”

Yeonjun nodded furiously, the poor flowers in his hair struggling to keep their petals together. 

Winter in the village wasn’t Taehyun’s favourite, the deep snow was just a hassle at times, but he _was_ curious about what the Forest would look like. How the bothersome snow would mould around the Forest and cover the branches instead for their leaves. What all the places he’s been to would look like under the snow and new areas that he had never been to. What kind of flowers would lace Yeonjun’s hair and how he would enjoy the falling snow.

He made a mental note of it, to come back to the village to visit during the break.

Then Taehyun stopped. All of a sudden, a dark wave crashed into him, wiping away his previous thoughts and replacing them with every single word of his acceptance letter. They echoed in his mind, turning foul with every new reciting of it. It felt sick, the city tainting the Forest - Yeonjun.

He looked to the spirit again, who to his surprise, was staring straight back at him.

“Are you alright? Is there something bothering you?”

The surrounding flowers seemed to have turned to face Taehyun and the cicadas grew quiet to listen to his response. It felt weird, being the focal point of attention from the environment itself, but he knew it was just the spirit’s own consideration that spurred it to do so.

He tried to speak, wanted to say he was alright, but his throat constricted when trying to articulate the words. Clearing his throat of the words of his letter, he instead spoke the truth.

“I...uh…”

It was difficult though, trying to explain something that he himself was conflicted about. Trying to tell the one person who complicated this entire matter - though Taehyun wasn’t blaming him in any sense.

“Well… I actually… got my acceptance letter yesterday…”

Yeonjun gasped in delight, awakening a thousand peonies around them in the process.

“This is amazing news! You did it Taehyun!”

Taehyun didn’t really know how to react - the spirit’s overflowing excitement was so starkly contrasted to his own loss. The sweet scent of the peonies permeated his mind and distracted him from his concerns, his attention now fully on Yeonjun’s pout, the one he always had when he was deeply in thought. And when the idea finally came around to him, the glowing spirit was already up on his feet, seemingly floating just above the earth.

“Today is probably a good day to go see it! C’mon, I want to show you something special for the wonderful occasion!”

Taehyun mindlessly nodded with a gentle smile - it was hard to deny him. Careful not to step on the peonies, he followed the elated spirit. He didn’t have it in him to tell Yeonjun about how the prospect of leaving had tormented him for the past 24 hours.

The path they took was not one he had taken before - he thinks. The trees started to thin out faster than he had seen before until he found himself in front of a small lake.

The tall grass shot straight up, swaying to the light wind. The little critters that resided there chattered about, all quite busy with their work to notice the visitors. The lake was clear as though the colours of the sky were directed painted onto the surface, glistening under the soft light of the setting sun.

"Over here, we just have to wait a little."

Yeonjun led him to a large stone, placed in a slight elevation above the tall grass. The view from the elevation wasn’t breathtaking or anything, but it still was one he knew he would never forget. The orange-tinged blades of grass reminded Taehyun of the fields he used to play in with Kai, the loud choir of insects’ warning them of the possibility of getting bitten - which they ignored.

It felt like home.

“I actually don’t know if I’m _that_ excited to go to the city anymore…”

Taehyun didn’t know what came over him - just a few minutes ago he swore he wouldn’t tell the spirit about his mixed emotions. But something about this place, the comforting nature of it all and Yeonjun next him made him feel like it was okay to speak his mind.

“I… used to really want to leave this slow place… but now I don't really know.”

The spirit was quiet, but had fully turned his attention towards his visitor.

“When I got that letter, it was strange. Of course, I was happy - it was my long time dream I had worked so hard for. But at the same time, all the memories I've made here started to flood in, and I got scared. Scared that I wouldn’t come back to my _home_ as a stupid kid who didn’t know anything better. I know it’s childish - life isn’t static and I’m going to have to get used to it - but it’s still uncomfortable.”

He sniffled hard; he wouldn’t let the tears fall.

“A-and I can’t stop thinking about this place, the promise of you always being here.”

At that, the spirit’s eyes widened, but he didn’t interrupt.

“I really enjoyed hanging out with you, learning about who you are and this forest that I used to fear. Heck, I came here so often that I even neglected my best friend.”

Taehyun let out a single huff at the memory - it was so stupid even after thinking about it countless times.

“I also thought, what about you? Yeah, I would visit, but I’m pretty sure once I’m in the city, I’ll just be whisked away to the fast beating rhythm of its heart.”

He couldn’t tell how Yeonjun reacted, he was looking down at the cool stone from the weight of his complex feelings.

“Everyone’s still scared of entering the Forest, s-so it would be ages until someone as reckless as I was runs into here and finds you. I just… I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel right to leave you alone. I - uh - I worry… and think about you a lot.”

There was probably more he could have said, but his own last few words shocked him into stopping.

That totally sounded like a confession, right?

He could feel the heat rise up his neck and burn the tips of his ears; he hoped the spirit hadn’t noticed. Yeonjun was silent, and for a very long time. When he finally managed to muster the courage to take a peek, he instead found him deep in consideration - but in the more serious way, his pout smoothed out into a tight line instead.

“Yeonjun?”

“Do not worry Taehyun. Your worries about me... are shared.”

It wasn’t what he had expected to hear from the spirit, but he let him continue.

“I was also… pondering about your departure to the city during the rainstorm yesterday. I was thinking how quiet it would be without you here, how the days would slip away until someone new would find me. How long would I have to wait? And… would they keep visiting me as you do? Time… does not have its grip on me, but even then, I find it quite lonely."

Yeonjun brought his knees up to curl into himself.

“I’ve always been alone, which was more the reason I never liked it when people left me. I understand that humans live dynamic lives and are not bound to one place, yet, there is a selfish part of me that never wants to let them go. I’ve already explained to you that the Forest was violent due to all the harm it experienced, but sometimes I worry that it was also carrying out my wishes.”

“A-and it is the same for me Taehyun, I think about you and our time together constantly. I always wonder to myself when you would be back again, what we could do the next time we meet, will we ever see each other again? Though I have had these longings for my previous friend as well, it was not at such an intensity as I think about you. I know you’d be much happier there, and yet, there is a foolish selfishness in me that wants to tell you not to leave.”

The more the spirit kept talking about him, the more Taehyun wanted to hide his burning face from him, but, he kept his gaze straight towards Yeonjun. It felt strange, being told directly that you are wanted someplace, with some _one_.

They sat in silence, both taking in what the other had just said to each other. 

He really didn't want to smile when he had heard the spirit say he wanted him to stay, but he couldn't help it. It felt nice having Yeonjun feel somewhat the same way as he did, even if it wasn't in the way Taehyun thought of him. Knowing all this, leaving felt even harder to do, though that wasn't what was important right now.

"Can I ask you something?"

Taehyun nodded.

“What… does it mean to _love_ someone? Not in the way that I love the Forest, but such the type that is used to describe the human ritual of marriage.”

He choked on his spit, careful not to cough too obviously.

"Why so sudden?"

"It's just… I was recalling a conversation I had with my previous friend and it came up. I never quite understood it." 

Yeonjun glanced at his guest with lost eyes, his face softly pressed against his knees he held close. Taehyun cleared his throat.

He swore the spirit would have been a supermodel if he lived in modern society.

"I-I don't _really_ know myself, but from what I know, it's when you think about a person a lot, like, _a lot_. This includes um thinking about what they would like, worrying about them even about the littlest things, and yeah stuff like that. You like them for everything really, their habits, the way they think, and even learn to accept their flaws."

He was getting flustered just by talking about it; he was just describing how he thought about Yeonjun.

"You find comfort in them, a comfort maybe a little different from being friends. You hope the other feels the same way about you and you never really want to be apart from them. That's why people get married. You vow to stay together until the end through all the hardships. So uh yeah."

He didn't really think that was the best way to explain it- he _had_ experienced childhood crushes before, but nothing like the way he likes Yeonjun. But it was the only way he could really explain it in words.

"Then… do I _like_ you?"

Taehyun's face was blank, but his mind was whipped up into a storm. Different ideas making loops in and out of each other and running around frantically in panic. He couldn't feel the cool evening winds against his sizzling skin.

"Taehyun?"

"Uh-um… I-I wouldn't know. T-that's for you to decide. I-if you t-think what I j-just described is what y-you feel, then I guess?"

Yeonjun looked to the lake to ponder the thought, resting his chin against his knees. It gave his visitor the time to wildly fan himself; he really wanted to jump into the lake.

"I… I-I think I do."

Taehyun's brain imploded.

"W-what?!"

He blurted it out a bit too loudly, momentarily shocking the insects to silence, before they went about again. The spirit also looked up in surprise, not expecting such an explosive response from the boy.

“Is that bad?”

Yeonjun looked at him with genuine worry, eyes afraid he might have said something wrong.

“No no no it’s just… I was surprised that’s all. S-sorry.”

The spirit whispered a quiet ‘it’s okay’ before turning back to look to the lake once more. The sun was finally slowly going into hiding behind the mountains, shining brightly one last time before retreating. The silence between them had turned awkward again, though the loud bugs did help a little.

Taehyun didn’t really know what to do with this new information. He definitely didn’t see it coming. It’s not like he was going to say Yeonjun didn’t really get what it meant; he didn’t really get it either. It was… an experience, being confessed to when the person in question doesn’t really know it _was_ one. His mind went in circles, wondering if he should say what he felt too - it would be rude not to, right?

“I-uh actually um…”

The spirit turned to look at Taehyun again, this time lifting his head to properly face him.

“I-I like you too. You know, like how you - probably - like me.”

There was another silence. The two just stared at each other, not once turning away. It was sort of embarrassing for Taehyun; it felt as if Yeonjun was looking through him and into his jumbled up mess of a brain. There wasn’t anything to the spirit’s eyes, just blank… realisation? He wasn’t too sure, but avoiding his gaze didn’t feel like an option.

Which he couldn’t really complain, Yeonjun was nice to look at. The last rays of lights tinged his hair with a light orange, like the grass in front of them, while the back of his head was shrouded in the ever-growing shadow, almost like the moon. The flowers were still adorably tangled in his hair, though unmoving just like their host. The light reflecting off his eyes made his irises look like two polished amber stones. The soft curve of his jaw to his chin, and his lips that were pouty by default. With those lips, the spirit finally spoke.

“So… what happens?”

Taehyun blinked.

_What_ does _happen?_

“I… I don’t know. What… do you want to do?”

Neither of them said a word. They really didn’t have a clue on what to do next. Yeonjun had never had these feelings before and Taehyun, well, he didn’t know how he would date a forest spirit. _He_ would have to teach the spirit about _dating_ , which he had no real experience in. He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable; the spirit is walking into this completely blind.

“Is this… a romantic relationship?”

Now in Yeonjun’s eyes, there was that piqued curiosity like when he was learning something new about modern civilisation.

That question and the way the spirit looked at Taehyun was probably what had him let out his inner turmoil just a little. Just a little.

He stammered, trying to piece the right letters together to make coherent words. Finding a place to look was suddenly difficult now, the person he liked watching him behave weirdly from just a question. He swore his ears were going to melt off.

“U-uuuhh… um y-yeah? I-uh, guess? Maybe? I-if you want to that is…”

There was a dim flicker that registered to the corner of Taehyun’s, but he paid no mind to it when all he could really afford to pay attention to was his to-be-boyfriend. The shadow now fully cast over his face, but his eyes never dimmed. Instead, they shone brighter, if that was really possible with the sun behind the mountain.

“I… don’t know a lot about this kind of… situation so... I am in your care.”

The dim flickering increased.

“M-me too! You can always tell me if you’re uncomfortable with anything.”

At that, Yeonjun smiled again before letting out a relieved giggle. Taehyun managed to follow suit, laughing at his stupidity and the circumstances that led them here.

“Oh look, look! They’ve started!”

He followed the spirit’s guiding finger back to the fields and took in a deep gasp.

Tiny blinking lights danced above the fields, moving in synchronised patterns like the light show he had once seen in the city. They filled in the darkness like how the stars decorated the night sky, shining with all their might. These tiny stars reflected off the lake, mirroring only a small section of the wider canvas. Though the sun was long gone, the moon behind them and the flying lights were enough to still appreciate the landscape.

It was a show just for them.

In his wonder, Taehyun hadn’t noticed the light touch of skin against his pinky. Just trying to track one of the lights had him lost in a frenzy of intricate paths and shapes. He _did_ notice however when the light touch hooked around his little finger. Looking down, there was another pinky, curled around the tip of his own. Following the finger up the arm, his eyes settled on the only other person with him. The spirit was looking down at their linked pinkies, wiggling his a little. He looked up to lock gazes with Taehyun again.

"I-I've seen travelling lov- partners do this before. It looked pleasant."

There was a shy blush spreading through Yeonjun's cheeks; he had a difficult time maintaining eye contact with his visitor, his lips pressed thin. Taehyun giggled at the bashful spirit, ignoring his internal screaming about how cute his _partner_ was. He was honestly glad Yeonjun stopped himself from saying the _L-word_ , he didn't know if he had the willpower in him to not scream _out loud_ if that had happened.

"It's actually more intimate than just our pinkies. Can I… show you?"

With a slow nod, Yeonjun watched attentively as Taehyun intertwined their fingers together. The spirit's hand was cool against his own, but that may just be because he was burning up so much in embarrassment. Still, it was comforting, their fingers fitting perfectly.

Yeonjun gripped tightly, lips curled into a smile once again. He shifted over, their shoulders touching and hands in front of them. Taehyun enjoyed their intimacy, not as just friends anymore, but as people who _liked_ each other.

"Taehyun?"

He turned to look at his _boyfriend_ \- it was still a little difficult to fathom. The spirit was now close, enough to be able to count the number of eyelashes he had.

"Mh?"

Yeonjun opened his mouth to speak, before closing it. Recollecting his thoughts, he tried again.

"I… want to visit the village."

He could feel his own eyes widen.

"Oh, okay! Um… when do you want to do that?"

Taehyun couldn't help feel giddy - it felt like they were planning a date. A _special_ one.

"I-um… maybe sometime next week? In the evening, if it isn't an inconvenience."

"Alright. Then next week, I'll come get you."

He didn't have many plans next week nor was walking around the village at night much of a problem. Most families retreated into their cozy homes by 8.

Yeonjun nodded, though his expression was one Taehyun could only describe as doubtful. But it faded quickly, the spirit clenching their tangled hands again. He wanted to ask if everything was alright, but it seems his new boyfriend didn't want to talk about it, so he let it go.

For the rest of the night, they watched the dancing lights before them, until the very last ones went out. The quiet soundscape didn't hold so many questions as before, although some uncertainties still lingered.

But those were for later, for when the fireflies turned off their lights for the chill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: fireflies are bioluminescent for their entire life span from egg to death its just we never see them outside of when they are adults
> 
> anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)   
>  [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	15. Ink

Yeonjun remembered the day to be in the early autumn, the leaves having started to yellow with just the slightest hint of orange on their tips. The breeze had grown stronger, with the added prickly chill that was never expected but always came.

He had started to feel it then, the strange sickness that never left him even when the rainy season had passed and he could not feel any major pain from the environment. It made him tired - which was a sensation he had first learnt just a few days ago. There was a foul taste on the back of his throat that hadn't caused him any problems yet, but it was still a worry to him. There wasn't anything wrong with the Forest, all of his friends were healthy from what he had observed.

He paid no mind to it. His fox friend had barked at him nonstop and The Tree had suggested another nap, but Yeonjun refused: it wasn't necessary. It was probably the abrupt shift in the weather that had affected him.

Making his way back to the Tree, he spotted the young noble, searching for him. His wide eyes and nose twitching to the sudden change in humidity made him look like a lost little rabbit. Yeonjun giggled under his hand at the image, before waving over to him.

His friend’s eyes lit up at the sight of him, running towards him like a child. The boy had grown into a young adult now, having grown taller and broader than the spirit, and yet, still kept the sparkling innocence in his eyes. He let out a laugh when the fox almost leapt at him.

“Hello, hello! I have something I want to show you!”

At a closer inspection, Yeonjun saw the box he carried under his arm.

“Is it related to the box you have there?”

The boy nodded, revealing the box to show him. It was a solid reddish-brown with beautifully drawn golden leaves spreading across to decorate it. There were no locks or hinges on it, just a lid that hid its lines seamlessly.

“I wanted to show you something today, but to do that I need a flat surface.”

He looked around.

“Anywhere we could go for that?”

Yeonjun had known just the place; the ancient boulders would be perfect. So he took them there, letting the fox run off to lead the way. His mind was giddy at what his friend would show him. 

"May I know what's inside the box?"

His friend shook his head.

"No, not yet! It would ruin the surprise."

The spirit pouted obviously for his friend to take pity on, but instead had him in a laughing fit.

"Let’s change the topic - where did you go just now?’

Yeonjun huffed, the taller boy not so timid as before. He had stuttered and shivered at every word the spirit had said to him, his poise of  _ young noble  _ left behind in the village. He smiled at the thought, how much he had grown over the time they knew each other.

“I only went out to see if everyone was alright. I have been feeling just a bit ill lately, so I was worried something might have happened in the Forest.”

“Oh no, are you alright? Maybe we can do this next time, you must rest!”

The spirit giggled at his friend’s worry, looking much like he had when he was still a lost child. He reassured him that he was quite alright, a short walk was not going to have him collapsing to the ground. To divert his worry, Yeonjun flipped the question over.

“Well, my time to myself has been cut short due to the coming exam in a few moons. Today was the first time in a while that I have been out of my residence.”

There was a slight frown forming on his lips, the creases it made on his face reminding the spirit of his stolen youth. Yeonjun had grown fond of the boy that it hurt to see him this way, losing control of things he actually wanted to pursue.

“But never mind that, it  _ is  _ for the family after all. I must be able to set my craft to the side for now.”

A silence fell over them. Yeonjun caught in the corner of his eyes the artist smooth his hand over the lacquered surface of the lid, tracing the lines of the patterns. Then in a sudden instant, the sorrowful expression on his face was gone.

“Oh! There was something interesting in the village as I was making my way here though. Do you know anything about mining?”

In fact, the spirit did. He had once observed a group of men hike up the mountains not too long ago, carrying tools with a curved body and pointed edges on both ends. On one of the stormy nights, one of them had gotten lost trying to get back to the village. Yeonjun had found him, drenched and shivering, and offered him shelter. The man spoke of a barren cave his merry band of men thought hid highly valuable treasures that would make them rich. The spirit knew of the cave, it was near the outskirts of the Forest, but he had never actually been there.

So he nodded.

“Well, a large group of miners seemed to have come today to mine something in these mountains. I hear some foreigners came to help and certainly  _ did  _ look very different.”

The spirit felt a sense of unease rise up his stomach. He wasn’t too sure what it was, there were always commotions around the Forest in the past, so he brushed it off. He told himself it was nothing of large concern; the Forest would be safe, even if some minor damage would arise here and there. 

When they arrived, they settled down on the flattest stone they could find, the fox curling up next to Yeonjun. The boy finally opened the box of the spirit’s curiosities, exposing him to a new world. Inside, it housed objects he had heard of in words, but never seen for himself. There were sticks with bundles of hair attached to one end with a black substance stained on them, which he knew to be brushes - used for painting and calligraphy. And there were some things he didn't know. A small black slab, a stone with a deep indentation carved into it, a roll of what seemed to be thin bamboo, and a circular white porcelain dish with a lid painted with flowers.

The calligrapher set all of the objects down one by one onto the surface: first, the bamboo sticks that flattened out into a mat, then the stone and brushes, and finally the slab and dish. At the very bottom, he also pulled out a white sheet Yeonjun knew to be paper. It was slightly frayed and torn around the edges but seemed to be nothing of concern as he set it down on top of the mat. 

“What is all this?”

“ _ This _ -”

He gestured towards his set up, his suppressed excitement cracking with the growing smile.

“-is what we use to write calligraphy.”

Yeonjun's mouth dropped naturally, hands itching to touch the tools, though he was scared something would happen if he did. His friend giggled at the obviously curious spirit, picking up the dish.

The spirit watched closely as the boy explained the process of preparing the materials. First, he opened the lid to the dish, pouring the water inside into the indent of the stone. Next, he took the slab and placed it in the pool of water, gently grounding it against the stone. The water started to grey until it was completely pitch black like the slab. Setting the slab down, the artist gestured to the stone.

“Now that the ink is done, here’s what I  _ actually  _ wanted to show you most.”

So lost in his wonder, the spirit just silently nodded, watching his friend’s every delicate movement. Pushing up his right sleeve, he reached to pick up a brush. Dipping the tip of the hairs into the murky water, the calligrapher went to work.

Each stroke was controlled and deliberate, leaving thick black lines in their path. The brush flowed easily in his trained hands, showing not even the smallest hint of hesitation. His usual soft expression had turned serious and focused, though the edges of his lips were faintly upturned. Yeonjun kept his eyes wide open; he would not let himself miss the beautiful dance that marked the paper in symbols he did not understand.

It was over faster than the spirit had expected. His friend pulled away from his completed work, setting down the brush on its side against the stone. Reviewing his work once more, the boy relaxed his muscles, softening back to his normal face.

“All done.”

The lines came together into two large characters scrawled across the page. 

“What does it say?”

Yeonjun watched his friend’s face light up, clearly proud of what he was about to answer.

“This… is how I thought we could write your name.”

The shock from his reply had the grass around them perking up in rigid attention, as did the spirit.

“My name?!”

“Yes! These two characters read ‘Yeonjun’. This one-”

The calligrapher points to the character on the top of the page, careful to hover over so he wouldn’t ruin it.

“- is Yeon. It means natural or to be true.”

He moved down to the second character.

“This one is Jun. It means to complete a task. Together I thought it would be nice if it meant something along the lines of being able to successfully complete all your tasks.”

Yeonjun stared in disbelief. The flowers went out of his control, covering a large area around them in all different types of flowers and some even clawing up the surrounding tree.

This was going to be his  _ name _ .

“I know it isn’t… well it isn’t really a name one would expect from a forest spirit…”

The spirit couldn’t hear him. His eyes were feeling heavy, though not from fatigue. It was heavier than that, creeping up to his eyes before spilling down his face on dropping into his palms. They were wet. Looking down, there were droplets of water in his hands

Tears.

They were tears. In his blinking confusion, more riveted to his chin. The fox nuzzled into his cheek.

He wasn’t sad or anything. It was more like… a freeing sense of joy. Yeonjun had never understood why people would shed tears when they spoke of merry news, but now he knew. He knew what it felt like to mean something to someone, to be  _ named  _ and remembered. A heavy wave of his overjoyed emotions mixed with his long time loneliness crashed into him, stealing his breath away. He hiccuped. 

“Oh, oh no is it not to your liking? I-I can -  _ we  _ can change it to something else if you want!”

“No… no…”

Wiping the tears away, he looked back up to his worried friend, brush already back in hand.

“I love it. I-”

The spirit took three deep breaths to calm his voice

“Thank you. Thank you so much. This… means a lot to me.”

He rubbed the remaining tears away as his friend sighed in relief. Turning to his box, he pulled out two more sheets of paper.

“Would you like to try writing it on your own?”

At his question, Yeonjun’s tearful emotions were gone, replaced only with an explosive exhilaration, sending the flowers soaring up the trees. The calligrapher took it as a ‘yes’ and placed both on the bamboo mat. Handing the spare brush to the spirit, his friend turned into his teacher, taking him through the steps. It was more difficult than he had anticipated, his lines wobbly and ink merging together in a mess. The ink got on his fingers and even managed to stain his lower arms, having bent forward to lean on his elbows. The number of times he had to gently push away the fox’s snout in case he ate the ink was uncountable. By the time he managed to finish writing his name, the boy’s throat was sore from their shared laughter.

“This is a good attempt! Would you like to keep it?”

Yeonjun started hard at his work, before looking over to the one his friend had made.

“Then… may I have both?”

“Of course! We can leave them to dry for a while and you may take them.”

The spirit had known just the place he could keep them; there was a secret hollow space in the trunk of the Tree that was big enough to fit the pages.

“How about your name?”

“Mine?”

Yeonjun nodded rapidly.

“Okay then, I have one page left. I’ll write my name there.”

Laying out his final page, the calligraphist went to work. With every stroke, a memory started to form in Yeonjun’s mind. A sound for the first stroke, then a syllable for the fifth. It was coming back to him.

He knew his name.

As he watched in his memory his friend drawing the last stroke in his name, it came back to him.

His name was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: there are many types of inksticks made of different materials that are used for their special effects or special occasions
> 
> also heads up we have a final chapter count now!
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter as well~
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)   
>  [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	16. The Painting

Walking around the village in the evening would be one of the eeriest experiences for anyone from the city. It was dead silent except for soft winds that tickled the trees and the quiet shuffle of the nocturnal animals. There were numerous ghost stories children would share around school; most of which were about the lost souls from the Forest trying to find their way back home. The streets would start clearing out at around 6:30. By 7:30, everyone would be back in shelter. There were some exceptions, of course. Those coming home from jobs far from home often returned late. 

But eventually, people get used to it. As for Taehyun, he had spent most of his teenage years watching the stars with Kai and returning hope in the dead of night. The only signs of life during the time were tired office workers slugging themselves back home, crickets, and a particularly silly little fox.

Getting to the Forest had just gotten easier; the shortcut didn't hold as many risks as it did before. So when he arrived at the start of the path that led to the Forest, he thought he could relax with Yeonjun a little before guiding him through the village.

What he hadn't expected was a spectre to be standing at the edge of his domain, one hand firmly clutching on the trunk of a nearby tree. Running towards him, Taehyun noticed the slightest shake in his legs, trembling to the rhythm of the leaves. His eyes were somewhere else, lips pressed thin.

Taehyun only waved towards him. In this quiet, Yeonjun's name would be whisked off into the village. Luckily, the spirit managed to see it.

"Hey there, you okay?"

Yeonjun gave him a weak smile, trying his best to keep his legs stable.

"Yes, I am alright. Quite excited if anything!"

He looked down to Taehyun’s hand and back up to his face. There was a particular uncertainty in the spirit’s expression, the one always associated with the prospect of entering the village.

“Yeonjun, we don’t have to do this today. There’s still a few months left; you can come to visit anytime.”

“No! I just…”

Yeonjun trailed off, words blown away up into the night sky. With a deep sigh, he let go of the tree he held onto, taking his first step out the bounds of his home and into Taehyun’s. He looked to the boy again, as if waiting for his guidance into the unknown.

“You sure?”

The spirit nodded. Taehyun just sighed before he started to lead the way back into the village. The fields that made the barrier between the village and Forests were barren, the townsfolk believing it to be infected by the cursed place.

Taehyun swore it was just dirt and unkempt grass. 

When they reached the end of the path into the village, he stopped. Turning to face Yeonjun, who looked through the barrier with a mix of dread and curiosity. Reaching out for his hand, Taehyun gently nudged the side of it, asking. His boyfriend looked over to him, before responding by threading their fingers close until their palms met.

Taking his first step onto the pavement, Yeonjun froze, one foot on the concrete street, the other on the slightly damp soil. He stepped back.

“What’s wrong?”

Taehyun was already on the pavement, their linked hands bridging between them.

“Oh it’s just… it felt quite strange not being able to feel the beating earth under my feet.”

The spirit wiggled his toes.

“Will it make you sick if you stay away from it long?”

He shook his head.

“No, no it won't affect me too much, perhaps like an itch.”

Taehyun didn't know if his boyfriend was playing down the effects or not. Getting him sick again was the last thing he wanted to do. But when Yeonjun managed to step onto the concrete just fine on both feet, he let the worry go for now.

It must have been a huge change since the spirit had last come, Taehyun thought. The way his eyes widened at the newer additions to the village: the five-storey multi-purpose centres, the lights that lit the signs for the five 24 hour convenience stores they had, and the cars parked in parking spaces on the concrete road - it had been a long while.

“Do they still use fire to light those tall lanterns?”

Yeonjun pointed to the street lights that lit the empty road.

“Nope, not anymore. We use a thing called electricity now; it's the same thing that powers my phone and digital camera.”

“Elec-tri-city?”

The spirit looked to Taehyun for an explanation, but honestly, he was the worst person to ask. Physics was not his best subject and trying to explain that there are invisible forces that dictate the universe at large would not only be difficult but would… do things to a being who only knew of the inner workings of nature. There was really only one way to explain it.

“Um… it’s kind of like the same as why and how lightning is formed. It’s like that, but on a very  _ very _ small scale.”

The flowers in Yeonjun’s hair shot up like they were struck. The spirit murmured something under his breath, thinking deeply to himself as he closely examined the rusted lamp post.

Even far away from his domain, the environment still reacted to Yeonjun. The potted plants all turned to greet him, panning across as they walked past. The flowers that crawled up some houses swayed gently to greet the spirit despite the night being a windless one. If they looked behind at their path, tiny shoots of grass petered their way around the old cracks of the road where he had stepped, before quickly retreating back under again.

“Taehyun, that house seems a little different than the rest.”

Following where his finger led, Taehyun’s eyes fell on the small museum. The lights were still on; he could see the cleaners walk past with their supplies, getting ready to close up.

“That’s the museum. It's a place where we showcase objects of culture we value; artifacts that teach us about the past such as cutlery, royal jewellery, and paintings. Do you... want to go check it out?”

Yeonjun nodded his head eagerly.

“Would we also be able to look around the entire place?”

Taehyun reached into his pocket to check his phone. The museum closed at 8 on weekends, so he wasn’t really sure.

7:40

He frowned.

“Mhh I don’t know how much time we’ll have...”

The flowers in the spirit’s hair drooped

“... but if we walk around fast enough, we could probably see everything they offer.”

At that, the flowers rose again in the excitement of seeing, well anything new really.

Yeonjun walked one step ahead of him as if  _ he  _ was the one who had lived here his entire life. Taehyun was practically being dragged by him, but he didn’t really mind. He let the spirit pull him, telling him where to turn on occasions.

The museum doors were still wide open; the old man who usually greeted people had already left. Entrance was free and security was lax - it wasn’t like they had a lot of important things in there nor was anyone going to make the effort to come all the way up a far off mountain to steal any of it. The place was due for a renovation soon: the walls were old and wearing off, a surplus of similarly aged ivies decorating the exterior.

Stepping aside at the entrance, Taehyun let Yeonjun enter first.

“Go in first and look around, I’ll follow behind.”

At his suggestion, Yeonjun took his first step into the building. The lobby was nothing special, just a room with a few chairs and a help counter that also worked as the cashier for the gift shop, which didn't have much. There were the stairs that led to the second floor that Taehyun swore no one really bothers to go up. The part-timer working the shift hadn't bothered to look up but did manage to give a monotone ‘welcome’.

The first room they entered was the one that held all the calligraphy, by Yeonjun’s eager request. Taehyun wasn’t one for the craft; it was a mess trying to learn it back in primary school, especially with him and Kai in the same class. The spirit, on the other hand, absolutely beamed in wonder, leaning so close to the glass that Taehyun had to remind him from time to time. He had asked him to read each description for him, wanting to absorb every ounce of information he could possibly remember.

The next room over was for tools and other items from the neolithic and bronze ages from around the mountains. This had Taehyun more interested; these were all returned to the village about 2 years ago, so he had never gotten the chance to see them. Though what surprised him more was Yeonjun’s own knowledge of the items, speaking of times he had seen the objects around the Forest: a broken axe head, shards of hard clay that had simple lined patterns, and an arrow stuck to a tree. They had all disappeared after a while, he explained, though he now assumed someone may have picked them up for the museum.

The third room was what Yeonjun had been most excited about; the paintings. Mostly from different periods, they all shared the common trait of being  _ from  _ the village or  _ inspired  _ by the village. At the very centre of the back wall between two open windows was a painting lit up with little spotlights - Taehyun assumed it was the new one that came recently.

Walking over to it, he was right. Against the vertical browning paper, it depicted a yellow fox sat in front of a tree that left the page, indicating its large size. From the little he knew of this country's art, foxes were barely ever drawn, nor did the image shown ever leave the page. When he felt Yeonjun’s presence next to him, he began to read the description.

“Depicting a yellow fox against a large tree, this piece is one of great interest. Using the unconventional animal of a fox and not drawing the tree in its entirety, many have speculated the particular reason for depicting this image.”

Taehyun looked over to the spirit, who had gone silent since he had stopped in front of the painting. There was a strain in his face, lips pulled into a thin line and hands held tightly together.

“This piece is said to have been created by a mysterious nobleman by the name of -”

“...Soobin.”

He turned to the frozen Yeonjun.

“What?”

He hadn't made the effort to look at his confused partner, eyes fixated on the piece.

“...nobleman by the name of Choi Soobin - wait - Yeonjun - how-”

The spirit was silent. The vines from outside started climbing into the open window. He really wanted to ask Yeonjun how in the hell he knew this guy’s name, but trying to get to him was proving a little difficult. So instead, he kept reading.

“He is said to have been a councilman that indulged in the arts at times. This piece was discovered at his childhood home in this village. Behind this large piece, there is a note that says ‘for my friend, Yeonjun’...”

The vines made their way toward the display glass.

“Many have speculated on the identity of this 'Yeonjun' and who they might be, but there is no clear evidence as there is little documentation of Choi Soobin's life.”

Balloon flowers started to bloom down the vines that framed the glass all the way to the floor. Taehyun reached out to grab the spirit a little harder than he had anticipated and turned him to face him.

"Yeonjun stop!"

It must have shaken the spirit out of his trance - the flowers closed up and the vines recoiled back out the window like a video on rewind. Yeonjun gasped, holding onto Taehyun’s arm to regain his balance. He spoke a soft apology, but his eyes were still glued to the painting. The smile that was once plastered onto his face had disappeared.

After that, it wasn’t the same. There was no time to look around some more, so they went back into the open. Taehyun started guiding again, taking the spirit to nearby places he thought he would enjoy, but Yeonjun was out of it. Clearly, being reminded of this Soobin person had really affected him.

For once, Taehyun was going to ask.

“So this Soobin person, you know him?”

A pause. He didn’t look up from his bare feet.

“Yes. He was a friend of mine.”

There wasn’t any wind today to fill in the gaps of their silence.

“Is he…  _ the  _ friend you sometimes talked about?”

“Yes, he was… my only human friend until you came along.”

For some strange reason, that didn’t sit right with him. Taehyun didn’t even know this guy and yet it felt like Yeonjun was always preoccupied with the memory of him. He won’t admit it was jealousy, never. He can’t be jealous of some old nobleman from a long time ago.

That would be stupid.

He wasn't stupid.

Looking over to his boyfriend, he could tell their time here was coming to an end. Yeonjun… stopped reacting to anything anymore, he was someplace - sometime - else. Every time Taehyun would point something out to him, he would just give a quiet ‘oh’ and move on.

“Should I take you back?”

Somehow,  _ that  _ managed to grab Yeonjun’s full attention.

“Oh no, it’s too late now. I will make my way back on my own. Please rest.”

There was absolutely  _ no way  _ he was letting the spirit walk back on his own. They were quite far from the Forest now, near his old primary school, and there was no clue what would happen to him.

“It's okay. I can’t leave you to wander back on your own.”

“I can call for Maple.”

There was a slight waver in his voice, unable to look at Taehyun.

“I still feel uneasy letting you off by yourself.”

With his mind so occupied with whatever it was that bothered him about the painting, Taehyun really just wanted to take him back safely. Yeonjun was being too selfless or reckless. Or both.

“Please Taehyun, its really alright-”

“No Yeonjun, it’s clearly not alright.”

It came out a little loud, ringing down the street, but that wasn’t important right now.

“You’re in a place you’ve struggled to come to terms with and you probably remembered something from the past that clearly bothered you to the point that you don't care to look around anymore. You think I’m going to just let you go wander off by yourself like that?”

He didn’t mean for it to sound so rude, and it seemed it startled both of them. The two stared at each other with wide eyes in silence, processing what he had just said. Before the creeping guilt could grab at his heart, Taehyun spoke first.

“I’m sorry, I-I just-”

“No, no I understand. I should be the one apologizing for making it difficult for you. Thank you for being so patient with me.”

They both fell quiet again, standing at the intersection that led to the old town. Yeonjun's friend probably was from around that area.

An idea popped up into Taehyun’s mind, a midway point between their opposing opinions, but he didn’t know if it was the right one. It would be a little awkward and strange, but there was no other option.

“Okay, let’s compromise. Would you like to stay over at my house until early morning? I get that rest you want me to get and then we can head back before anyone wakes up.”

It was a stupid idea, he knew. Though his house  _ was  _ closer to where they were, he would much rather just take Yeonjun back to the Forest. Knowing the spirit though, Taehyun’s rest was more important than himself, so he tossed the idea to him.

“That sounds reasonable. Please lead the way.”

Was not what he was expecting as the spirit held into his hand once more.

“O-oh. Okay.”

Taehyun’s mind was blank as he started walking towards his house. He was taking his  _ boyfriend  _ to his house. His heart pumped hard to keep up with his racing mind - it almost felt like he was taking Yeonjun to meet his parents. He basically was! It’s just, they were asleep... and they won’t see him at all. 

Somehow, they ended up in front of his house, pushing through the front door and tip-toeing up the stairs to his room.

“Wow…”

The spirit’s eyes could not settle in one place, darting around Taehyun’s cluttered room of things he ought to clean up soon.

“You can look around while I wash up real quick okay?”

Yeonjun only gave a sound of distant acknowledgement, levitating towards his overflowing desk. When he came back, the spirit was still there, flipping through the unfamiliar images of his tattered chemistry textbook.

“What do these diagrams mean Taehyun?”

He looked over to see what his boyfriend was talking about, then sighed.

“To be completely honest with you Yeonjun, I still have no clue.”

Taehyun giggled quietly under his breath at Yeonjun’s confused look. Chemistry was as much a mystery to him as it was to the spirit. Plopping down on his bed with his phone in hand, he set his alarm for 5:30am. Some people were already up by then - the market opened at 6 - but if they took the route around the market they would most likely not be spotted.

What he hadn’t taken to account where his boyfriend was going to sleep -  _ if  _ he was going to sleep.

“Uhhh Yeonjun?”

He only hummed in response, now having moved onto flipping through the pictures on the desk calendar.

“You can use the bed, I can go grab some blankets to lay on the floor for myself.”

“Oh, no please don’t give up the bed. We can share.”

Yeonjun’s harmless smile did nothing to calm Taehyun’s rising blush, his head spinning in dizzying circles.

Bed sharing. Yeah, he was cool with that, totally.

The spirit took a seat next to him, pleasantly surprised at the fluffiness of it. He kneaded gently on the mattress like a kitten, giggling to himself at how it sprung back to shape.

Oh god no he was not okay. They had  _ just  _ started holding hands. Sharing a bed was supposed to be at least a hundred steps later. 

“May I stay by the window and leave it open? I think some fresh air will help with the loss of the warmth the soil gives me..”

Taehyun nodded, unable to trust himself to say anything really. He guessed he was glad he had an extra pillow.

He lay frozen facing up to the ceiling, unable to turn to his boyfriend, who was enjoying the soft texture of the bedsheets and blanket. There was a slight shift beside him, the minuscule rise and fall indicating the spirit had changed positions.

“Is everything alright Taehyun?”

No, it wasn’t.

“Y-yeah, very comfortable.”

“Yes! I have heard of straw beds and such, but wow, this is very soft.”

There was a light thump against the mattress next to him, followed by a satisfied chuckle. Taehyun still dared not to turn.

“Taehyun?’

A light touch brushed against his arm, before it found its way to his finger, sliding into each other. It tugged at his hand, beckoning him to turn. Taehyun shut his eyes tight in consideration. He was way too embarrassed to look at Yeonjun right now; there was a hundred percent chance the spirit looked absolutely breathtaking under the moonlight and that Taehyun would just melt.

With another persistent pull, he finally turned to his side to face his boyfriend.

Yeonjun was lit by the soft light of the moon, the edges of his being in a fuzzy glow. The flowers in his hair were slowly closing up for the night, tucked under the stands of his hair. He had a relaxed smile accompanying his droopy eyes, hands playing with the squishy pillow.

“Good night Taehyun.”

Taehyun’s brain melted away.

“A-are you n-not going to sleep?”

It was hard to get the words out, the urge to just hide under his sheets until morning came screaming in his mind.

“Well… I guess I should. There is no need for me to, but I reckon you might feel uncomfortable if I just stay awake.”

He could only nod, averting his gaze from his glowing supernatural boyfriend. Instead, he looked to their entangled fingers, gripping tightly despite the warm air. Without looking at Yeonjun, he closed his eyes, hoping to see the spirit even in his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: balloon flower root is really healthy and is good for people who have weak immune systems that affect the respiratory system.
> 
> yay soobin!!!
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)   
>  [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


	17. Distant Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to dedicate with chapter to my soulmate and editor, Isabela. Without her, this fic would have been complete ass and maybe even never started. the idea for this entire chapter was her idea and i would literally have been lost without her help. thank you and I love you ♡

It was that same dream again, or rather, a nightmare.

Yeonjun was running; towards or away he couldn’t tell which. Though whichever way it was, something was watching him, their gaze weighing down on his body. Even when he turned to face them, they would always be behind him, following him into his safe haven.

His fingers and toes first started out tingling, turning into an annoying itch that would not go away. Then, he felt the slicing cold that made them go numb - he couldn’t feel them anymore.

He tried to scream, but a dark claw was stuck in his throat. It scratched at his neck and spilt its poison into it, leaving his breath ragged. All he could do was cough and cough until his throat started to swell. The shared force from the eyes and his aggressive coughing threw him onto the floor; the ice cold earth he could no longer feel the beating heart of the Forest through. 

The coughing got worse, threatening to steal Yeonjun’s voice when a grey liquid started to sputter out of his mouth, darkening to a pitch black with every cough. He tried his best not to get it on the grass, catching the vile fluid in his shaking hands, to no avail. With a single drop falling onto the dirt, suddenly the Forest floor was gone, replaced with nothing but the darkness that planned to swallow him. He tried to reach out for anything he could hold onto - call to the vines to help him out - but his connection with them was severed. The trees started to rot away: first, the leaves withering to a dull grey before being swept into dust by the violent winds. The branches contorted into unnatural shapes, groaning and recoiling in pain.

Utterly helpless in the sinking ground, all he could do was cough and cough and cough and-

Yeonjun shot right up, gasping for air. He desperately called for the vines again. This time they came to him in an instant, wrapping around his arm to share their warmth with him. It was strange. He couldn’t feel the earth beneath him or the silent whistle of the trees; only a soft surface under him and the still air.

Where was he?

It was then that he realised that there was another source of warmth next to him.

Looking over, Taehyun was sound asleep, eyes slightly opened and hair messy like a fluffy red powder puff.

Yes, that's right. Yeonjun was in the village. He had come to visit.

An unsettling chill ran up his back, the feeling of being watched appearing for just an instant. Perhaps some fresh air would help.

Turning out to the window next to the bed, he took a deep breath, letting the piercing scent of the trees settle on his tongue.

The village was  _ very  _ different from what it was in the past, that much he knew just by talking to Taehyun. It was one of the reasons he had convinced himself it would be alright to visit yet, there were still things that were the same. The rough streets reminded him of the twisting and turning paths that had him so lost in the past.

The window faced the other side of the mountain, a place where Yeonjun’s roots did not reach. He did have the vaguest memory of once roaming freely there as well but had lost a large part of those memories after his terrain shrank to where he was now. They disappeared with the upturned trees that had once resided there. 

Another cough bubbled up and hurled itself violently out of his mouth. It was starting to make his throat sore, the scratchy feeling foreign to him. He tried to cover his mouth so the sound would not wake the sleeping boy next to him, but even under his hands, his coughs echoed through the empty streets below. 

Something shifted behind him.

“Mh… Is everything okay Yeonjun?”

Taehyun sat upright, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He could barely open his eyes to look at Yeonjun - it was adorable.

“Yes I’m… alright.”

The boy frowned amidst his sleepiness.

“Now that sounds like a typical ‘Yeonjun lie’ to me.”

“I’m sorry?”

He moved to sit next to the spirit.

“You always say you’re ‘alright’ even though you clearly don’t look like it. It’s okay not to tell me what you’re thinking about, but I still want to know when to look out for you.”

Though he did not know he had any, Yeonjun’s ice walls started to melt. This… was something new. He had always thought that people would take his word for it, that he was alright. After all, he  _ was  _ alright. These were regular things he had to cope with at times and bothering others would only make them worry - he didn’t want  _ Taehyun  _ to worry.

The boy hadn’t spoken a word since, only looking down to the streets he called home. Out of curiosity, he reached out to poke the vine Yeonjun held. There was nothing sweeter than the soft giggle he let out when it shivered and recoiled before bumping back at his finger. From their proximity, the spirit could feel the warmth of Taehyun radiate off their touching shoulders.

He felt safe.

Maybe…

Maybe he would tell him.

Everything.

From his past that haunted him.

Yeonjun  _ had  _ thought about telling the boy, it was just the matter of when he had come to terms with it.

Or did he?

He didn’t know if he had ever planned to tell Taehyun, thinking he wouldn’t need to know. There was no need to; the boy would disappear like the rest of them, carried away by the storm of their short but busy lives.

_ Who would care to remember a forest spirit like him? _

“The museum was fun, wasn’t it? I hadn’t been there in ages and though there wasn’t a lot, it was still interesting.”

Yeonjun’s mind wandered back to the museum, the objects of value that were kept there. It was absolutely fascinating; thousands of years of human history and culture compacted into small things such as cutlery. The beauty of the words he could not understand but could still admire in their curling calligraphy. As for the paintings…

The one by his old friend, Soobin, was the only one he had cared to remember.

Golden foxes did not roam in these mountains. He had read over the description carefully to find the name his friend had given hi. It was there, neatly printed next to the symbols he figured was the new writing system. It was clearly meant for him yet, Soobin had never spoken of painting something new, only ever mentioning his calligraphy. 

There was only one answer. 

He had painted it in remembrance of the spirit after he had fallen asleep.

This time when the tears fell, Yeonjun could not decipher what emotions had swept him away. It was a mix of growing warmth with cracks that seeped with a deep sorrow of loss and regret. He wondered amid his confusion if Soobin had come back to see the spirit, only to realise that he would not wake. How if after waiting for an uncertain amount of time, he gave up on Yeonjun’s return. If he had tried to visit the Forest one last time, only to see it was poisoned beyond immediate repair. There was so much the spirit wanted to ask his friend. But he was gone now, his body returned to the earth.

And for the first time, Yeonjun felt a great loss.

He had parted eternally with many of his animal friends; this was nothing new. Yet, the spirit had never felt so empty as he did now. A part of who he was stolen forever.

He wondered what his last words to Soobin were.

“Yeonjun? Holy sh- what’s wrong? Uhhhh tissue tissue-”

Before Taehyun left, Yeonjun held onto his wrist.

He had to tell the boy about his past. It was worth it. Even if their lives were fickle, they held meaning. The spirit did not want to regret anything with another person ever again, especially a person he held dear to his heart. After all, Taehyun had the right to know; the Forest had once been a place of great fear for him. He must want answers.

“I’ll tell you about what happened to the Forest.”

And… he wasn’t too sure if he wanted to be left alone just yet.

“No! I mean - you don’t have to. I can wait. Jesus Yeonjun, you’re crying!”

There was always something about Taehyun that made him smile; this time was the wildly worried expression he always wore. Coughing out a laugh, Yeonjun wiped the tears off his face.

“I want to tell you Taehyun,  _ now _ . I fear there will be no other time.”

Not knowing what to do, the boy sat back down, sliding his hand up to interlock their fingers again.

"Okay… just - remember that you can stop whenever you want."

Yeonjun just nodded. It was time for Taehyun to learn about Soobin.

* * *

The sickness never went away.

Even after the seasons had passed and the rest he had taken, the foul feeling in his throat grew. He could feel it with every breath he took, the fresh air tinged with the intrusive scent of rot. The toxins that sizzled in his bowels never died down.

His limbs had started to experience swells of pain at times, the sensation growing by the days. There were whispers of strange occurrences at the edges of the Forest, murmurs to stay away from the cave that breathed out poisoned air. Groans of pained trees being cut until the spirit could no longer hear their source of life.

Yeonjun had also started coughing, his throat under the grasp of a large claw that tightened ever so slowly. It had gotten harder to breathe, to take in the air that once filled him with so much life.

He really started getting worried when a greyish purple liquid came out the other side of his mouth. It felt disgusting, the liquid stuck in his airways that showed itself whenever he coughed too hard - a constant reminder of his deteriorating health - the wellbeing of the Forest.

When he spat out a frighteningly vivid colour of solid purple, the spirit finally sought out the cave. He had to stop whatever was happening - hoping it would go away clearly showed no sign of helping. Trekking up the path that led to the cave, he came to the end of his domain earlier than expected.

Laid in front of him was a graveyard of his oldest friends; their headstones crudely upturned to rot.

Yeonjun did not think to ask what happened, his mind occupied with the desperate need to save them. Threading their roots back into the soil had managed to help the ones who were only recently violated. The farther he went, however, the harder they were to save. At the very edge of where the Forest had once claimed, it was empty. Ahead was the cave and surrounding it, the crude flat earth where his friends once stood.

Dark gases fumed out the mouth of the cave, dissipating into the air giving it that foul smell he had been feeling. The jarring clang of metal against stone and squeaking wheels against the soil ripped through the sounds of agony in the Forest. It was easy to see the people going about their work, sagging faces showing lines of lost sleep and dark marks streaked across any exposed skin. Many coughed violently, often losing balance in their feet in the process. They didn’t even turn to look at the spirit, bogged down in their own tunnel vision of routine work.

The sizzling in his stomach started to bubble.

The soil felt cold when Yeonjun tried to walk past the bits he could save. The earth was devoid of any connection to him, forcibly ripping out his veins. He could not approach the people to ask them what was going on.

Because he knew what was going on.

He turned and ran, despite his ragged breath and aching limbs. The Forest screamed to attack them, punish those who had tarnished their land. Make them regret ever entering their premises and warn others to never return. Their violent cries grated at the spirit’s thoughts, urging him to act on them. He shared his life with the Forest; its emotions were his and vice versa. It would be so easy for him just to let the Forest go wild and crush those who dared to hurt it. To erect walls so thick that none would ever find their way in or out, lost for eternity where the light never reached.

Yet, he trudged on.

Crossing the boundary and forgetting to think about his outwards appearance, Yeonjun searched for a particular nobleman.

It was more difficult than he thought, the winding paths overrun with people and domesticated animals making it difficult to find room to breathe. The houses all looked identical, except for the few that looked to be made with sturdier, more decorative materials. Being pushed by the ebb and flow of the people, trying to make his way where he actually wanted to go only had him tiptoeing the other direction. Those who had the chance to take even the slightest glimpse at him always did a double-take, an obvious anomaly against the unchanging faces.

Asking the people who the spirit assumed were merchants proved challenging.

“Soobin? Never heard of that name.”

“There’s a nobleman named Soobin?”

“You think I’d care to know anything about that rotten nobility? All they do is sit around and steal our food!”

The further he strayed from the Forest, the stronger it came onto him, demanding he stopped wasting his time. 

Finally finding a relatively empty street, Yeonjun leans over to catch his breath again. The claw had reached further for his lungs, applying a steady pressure to them that inhaling caused him to cough again. His spit was now a dark purple, almost edging towards a pitch black.

“Young lad over there, are you alright?”

Looking up, a lady approached him, basket on her left hip. The wrinkles forming on her concerned face were permanent, like the marks that his trees used to bear. Coughing a few more times, he tried to find his breath.

“Do you - perhaps know where the nobleman called Choi Soobin is?” 

At his question, the woman knitted her eyebrows. Looking at the spirit once over, she frowned.

“I’m not quite sure why you are looking for the young master, but he is gone.”

The world stopped.

“I’m sorry?”

“The young master left for his exam. Though he was set to leave for the week after, an issue arose in the city and the master of the house ordered for his early departure.”

Yeonjun could only cough.

Then again and again, until he was kneeling on the floor, frantically gasping for air. He felt a touch on his back and the lady tried to speak to him, but he could not hear over the desperate cries ringing in his ears. When he forcefully spat out the ink like spit, he felt the lady step back. It seeped into the smoothed dirt path, tainting it a pitch black. His airways shrivelled into itself, pleading the claw to have mercy.

When a sharp needle-like sensation pierced through Yeonjun's left arm, leaving it paralyzed, he knew he had to return. With wobbling legs, he managed to stand upright, tipping to and fro to find his balance. Looking back, he was honestly surprised the lady was still there.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll be on my way…"

"Young man-"

The lady held out her hand to stop him from moving forward but made sure not to get anywhere near him.

"Whatever you do, do  _ not _ speak of the young master to anyone else. He is a timid one and barley leaves the premises of his house. I tell you this because the only reason one would know his name is that you are either nobility or someone he trusts."

With that, the lady left in a hurry, disappearing around the corner into the crowded market streets.

Yeonjun could only huff.

There would be no one to talk to about him anyways.

The relentless coughing pushed him to  _ move _ , follow the roots that lead back to his ruined home. The more he limped the confusing labyrinth of streets, the more eyes started to take note of the stranger in their midst. Its immense force casting judgement on his every movement; from his vibrant hair to the continued coughs that plagued the air. The spirit tried his best to conceal his spit, hide his illness under a fragile hand, to no avail.

Perhaps if Yeonjun had never interacted with a human  _ ever _ , he would have let the Forest wreak havoc without a second thought. If these emotions had not taken a grip on his heart, he would have allowed the village to be swallowed whole without warning. Make it so that no one dared to even enter the mountain ever again.

Maybe if he had never been curious in the first place, none of this would have happened.

He could no longer feel his toes and his fingers started to numb. His soles swelled, the rough terrain unkind to his soft feet. The choir of birds fell silent, replaced by the merciless screech of metal and clang of stone. Dragged down by the vile feeling of putrid bog and rolling toxins.

The next piercing jab came to his right leg.

Yeonjun's knees buckled, tripping onto the nearest tree to catch himself.

Breath in

out

in

out

He had no time.

He tried to run again. Stepping forward, he yelped at the slicing pain that shot up his leg. The vines that helped him find his balance were shrivelled and thin, barely able to carry the spirit's weight. It shook, begging him to make it stop.

He didn't know if he could.

But he still moved, limping his way to his heart.

The Forest was no longer itself, the trees contorted into unnatural angles and its thorns growing sharp. Leaves fell to the ground pitch black and rot into the earth, the flowers withered to a dull grey. The water was dark, absorbing the little light that came through the treetops to create a void.

He could not hear the earth anymore.

When he arrived at the fields, the most painful strike came. Ripping at his chest, Yeonjun wheezed as he fell to the ground, pushed down to the earth by his own coughing. His numb fingers dug into the earth, clawing for some hope of warmth from the soil, the gentle beating of it to comfort him when there was none.

It was painful to cry, the hot tears mixing with his spit and hiccups scratching at his throat. The palpitations in his chest extenuating the tearing sensations throughout.

The spirit blindly searched for his heart, feeling his way towards the Tree without the help of his teary eyes. Their connection was still there but weakened to just a thin thread burning with acid.

Crawling through the foul water and up the roots, Yeonjun clung to the Tree, making a last-ditch attempt to pool their energy together.

"I'm sorry." was all he could whisper, his voice stolen from him.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

The Tree whispered back, offering to shelter him in its trunk.

Even at his lowest, the spirit was stubborn.

"What if Soobin comes to visit again? I'll need to wake up by then…"

Yeonjun's body shook violently, ordering himself to sit down, to which he complied. Resting his back on the trunk, he let out a shaky sigh.

He had no clue when he would wake up.

There was no time to think any harder about it though, his eyes closed shut and the winds carried him to an uncertain sleep.

_ I'm sorry _

* * *

Yeonjun only felt he was shaking when he was done, sweat sticking to his skin. 

The memory was still vivid in his mind, watching himself run endlessly through the village streets and feeling his short breath. He coughed once more, the sensation of the vile spit caught in his throat like a ghost.

Taehyun had not said a word, but he hadn't distanced himself either. There was a warm hand on the spirit's forearm, before it slowly leaned in to envelop him in an embrace. The boy smoothed his hands down the spirit's back, squeezing tightly around his torso.

"I'm here now. I'm here."

And that was enough.

Gasping for air, Yeonjun broke down. Wrapping his arms around Taehyun, he let his tears free into his shoulder. He was shaking violently, so much so that the boy shook with him yet, he gripped tighter.

He was warm, a warmth that the earth could not give him. Intimate and direct. Bright like the sun, but gentle as the moon.

The spirit wished he could hide in it forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: uhhh idk nature is freaky ig
> 
> [starts breakdancing]
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/sproutjjunie)  
> [ curiouscat ](https://curiouscat.me/sproutbabie)


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